Magical Love
by AntiGravitation
Summary: Draco's need of getting back his wand from Potter had brought them into a bizarre concept of friendship.


**Summary:** Draco's need of getting back his wand from Potter had brought them into a bizarre concept of friendship.

**Warning:** Drarrying can cause addiction and damage your emotions. Contains of made-up potions,spells&objects. Innocent Draco and a sickly sweet story. Grammar errors are inevitable. My first Drarry.

**A/N: **This story is dedicated to the late Lucien a.k.a. DevientGrey (2012), my dearest Drarry author. He was a kind person and a brilliant writer.

PS: Lines & paragraph spacing didn't work on FFnet. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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**MAGICAL LOVE**

**I. AVERSION**

Draco sighed for the seventh time. It was about curfew and yet the one wizard he was waiting hadn't returned to the common room yet. He disliked being made to wait by anyone. He was sure Potter had no detention or Merlin-only-knew business tonight that took the Scarhead's evening.

Hasty steps echoed through the corridor. Familiar gasp of breath caught Draco's hearing and he stepped out of the darkened alcove before the entrance door of their new chambers.

"Potter."

Potter bolted backward at the voice and the sudden appearance of a blond head out of the shadow.

"Malfoy! Merlin, don't surprise people inside castle!" Potter put his hand against his chest.

Draco lifted his eyebrow elegantly.

"Well, what do you want? By the way why were you hiding there?" Were you hiding anyway, Potter added mutely, steadied his breath.

"You have something of mine. I'd like it back."

"What's wrong with the one you have?"

"It's my mother's. It's powerful but, it's not the same… Doesn't quite understand me."

Potter bit his bottom lip. His eyes were inspecting the corridor stony wall.

Draco swallowed. Uh oh, this wasn't good. His own eyes glanced at Potter's hand tugging the messy dark hair. Merlin, he knew well that gesture. The obvious behavior he knew well possessed Potter when the boy was nervous. Nervous Potter meant not good.

"Potter?"

Potter avoided Draco's eyes by running his emerald eyes along the gloomy corridor. Studying the new side of Hogwarts castle where they –the Eighth year— were provided.

"Potter, you HAVE my wand, don't you?" After Draco's wand discarded from his hand, Potter mastered it and used it during the Battle of Hogwarts. And since Draco found that Potter was quite fond of his own wand, so he kept Draco's wand somewhere beneath his trunk.

That was what Draco hoped for Potter to tell him.

Draco noticed the long silence occurred.

"Potter!" Draco felt panic started to rush within his vein.

"Um, why would you want it back?" A question which was quite stupid. Potter hunched.

"I need it back. My mother's wand doesn't really…compliant to me. It doesn't give desired result when I use it to cast complex spells."

"It'll get used to you eventually." Potter said, which sounded as if it was directed to his own sureness.

"…Potter, did you just joke at me? Surely you know it won't happen, Potter! The wand chooses its master. Even if I force it to submit to me, it will never work." Draco looked at the younger boy in disbelieve.

Potter was mumbling something. So fast and vague that Draco had to ask him to repeat the words.

"What did you say, Potter? I didn't catch it." Draco leant forward unconsciously.

"I—"

The conversation was executed by the other two Golden peered from their chambers.

"Harry! Where have you been, mate? We've been waiting for you ages!" Said the Weasel. And then the ginger hair spotted Draco. "What are you doing there Malfoy?"

"Harry?" Granger was holding the door.

Draco obviously displeased by the disturbance.

"We continue this tomorrow, Potter."

"Night, Malfoy." Potter ran into the chambers to join his friends, looked somehow relieved.

Draco sighed and walked into the Secretus Prisma, where the sixteen students of the Eighth year dormed. He couldn't talk to Potter about it in their common room without risking to be heard by the rest of the Eighth-years.

Draco hoped nothing bad happened with his wand.

Entertaining himself, Draco decided to enjoy the light reflections on the chambers by sitting on a black armchair at the corner of the common room, observing the habitant. As he entered the common room, it went silent. Eight students attended the common room stopped their activities and turned their heads toward Draco. He raised his eyebrow elegantly in return and the groups were involved back to their own activities.

The Patil sisters and Hannah Abbot sat on the fluffy rug before the fireplace, obviously gossiping something. Neville Longbottom and Susan Bones were talking about Herbology. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and Michael Corner were discussing something that sounded not so important. He noticed the Golden Trio weren't around.

Tch, they must be covering Potter now, so he couldn't confront him, Draco thought. How predictable.

There were only half the seventh year students of his year whom returned to Hogwarts to repeat their term and have proper graduate. Draco had returned with his two other fellow Slytherin; Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass. Too bad Pansy transferred to Beauxbatons and Blaise and Theodore transferred to Durmstrang. If not, they could've ruled the Slytherin House this year.

The Eighth year was located at Secretus Prisma chambers on the West wing, half side of the fifth floor, near the staircase leading up to Ravenclaw common room. The chambers contained of twelve rooms. Six rooms each side, separated by a cozy long common room. Left side for the boys' dorm and the right side was the girls'.

They were in their fifth month now. And Draco was getting frustrated by his mother's wand. It seemed the wand couldn't cooperate well with him. Sometimes, when he casted complex spell, the effect wasn't at its optimal result and sometimes the spell hit the wrong aim.

He needed to get his wand back.

Nothing he could do on the common room, and definitely NOT intended to join the others, Draco walked to his room. He took a sit on the chair, pulled out a parchment from the desk drawer and began to ink his quill.

He wrote to his father about the progress of his planning and plotting in taking over the Malfoy estate from the ministry. His father had transferred all of his assets to his name during the war so the Ministry couldn't seize them. But the ministry hadn't given up in seeking a way to take control of the Malfoys funds yet, using his father's condition as an open opportunity. And as he was of legal age now, the control of the Malfoys had fully possessed by Draco to save The Malfoys heritage from the corrupted Ministry staffs. And now he had to struggle alone making correspondence with his solicitors to make sure his plans worked as he wanted.

Casting _Tempus_, he thought he would owl the letter tomorrow as his room side didn't have open window to call his eagle owl, Icarus. He secured the letter into the drawer and decided to read the new released book of Advanced Level Alchemy before sleep.

oOo

The next morning Draco woke up with a fool mood. The sheet was the trigger. He craved for the premium quality of silky sheets wrapped his bed at the manor. It made him upset. His father should hear about-

"Oh, right." Draco remembered that the distrust of the Malfoy name still instilled in the Wizarding Britain.

So he sighed with a body gesture. He decided to take a long bath in the en suite small bathroom of his room. Oh the joy of not having a roommate. He could stay in the bathroom as long as he wanted.

It was really a good luck that the returned-seventh-year boys were only nine students. Not to mention he's the only Slytherin boy returned to Hogwarts.

The Secretus Prisma, where they resided consisted of twelve chambers with double four poster beds. Each chambers installed with a personal bathroom in it. Direct by the entrance door was a simple long common room. The place was simply plain without any Houses' attributes installed. The only entertaining decoration was the clear prisms on the common room and the hallway that refracted and dispersed natural light into waves of crystal clear illumination. Exactly the lighting concept Draco installed to his private cottage. Draco wondered if this floor was used to keep Hogwarts guests. The elegant prisms decoration really was an impressive sight.

"Hm, maybe I should read the new edition of Hogwarts A History. Who knows what else the new-revealed hidden chambers in Hogwarts." And the erased broken places, Draco added mentally. He proceeded to the bathroom.

Knotting his tie, he still had half an hour before breakfast end. As he walked out the room, he noticed the place was deserted. It seemed that all other Eighth year had gone to the Great Hall. When he was about to open the entrance door, he heard a rustling sound and the next thing he knew he was knocked to the wooden door by a male student.

"Oh, Merlin, sorry! I was in hurry I thought everybody has already left." Potter corrected his spectacles position and looked up.

"Potter," Draco spat the name, "How you managed to miss me from the sight is beyond my logic."

"M-Malfoy.." Potter looked surprised and his body became rigid.

A-ha! Now is a good time to confront the dark haired boy, Draco thought. So when he noticed Potter's hand was trying to reach the door holder, Draco straightened his posture and stepped to the spot before Potter, blocking him from the exit.

"Not so fast, Potter. We still have unsettled matter." Draco raised his chin.

"W-what matter, Malfoy? Can we talk later? We're about to miss breakfast." Potter tried again to reach the door.

"No. Potter, you have avoided this before and I have an accurate guess that you will avoid me again later. So, now, Potter, for the last time I ask you to give me back my wand." Draco was now staring the shorter boy sharp into his eyes. Potter swallowed soundly.

"Potter, I will keep waiting here until you give me back my wand." Draco now crossed his arms before his chest.

After a moment far too brief, finally Potter sighed in defeat.

"All right, I have it in my trunk. Let's get it then." Potter walked back toward his room.

Draco frowned. That was very unusual for Potter to let him enter his room. Why would he have to follow Potter for his wand? Potter could fetch it for him.

oOo

As Draco stepped inside one foot length from the threshold of Potter's room, he noticed there was only one occupied side of the room.

"I thought you shared room with Weasley?" Draco had noted the first time they were distributed to the chambers, Potter was paired with Weasel. Draco gratefully enjoyed his room with no left male student for roommate.

Potter, who was opening his trunk surprised by the voice that he was practically jumped, closed his trunk in the process.

"What? No. No, Ron decided to join Hermione in her room." Potter tilted his head, watching the blonde cautiously. There was some sort of emptiness in Potter's voice.

"Of course. No more restriction for Eighth Year, I see. Potter, my wand." Draco raised his hand toward Potter.

"Er…right." Potter reopened his trunk and digging into the base of the disorganized trunk.

Potter then pulled out a velvet green pouch. He walked closer toward Draco. Until they were two feet distance, Potter withdrew the content from the pouch.

There was silence engulfed them completely.

It was a deafening silence.

"Potter, what is that."

"Er..your wand."

There was most definitely deafening silence.

"Excuse you?"

"Your—"

Definitely extreme deafening silence as Draco couldn't hear what was Potter saying.

He was sure his face was now as pale as the albino peacocks at Malfoy Manor.

He saw what looked like pieces of Hawthorn wood in Potter's hand.

"Um..Malfoy?"

"Wow, Potter, for a second I thought it looks like a remnant of my wand." Draco's voice was very flat.

"Uh, it is your wand…"

Draco's well torn wand, in pieces.

Draco was corpse pale. Potter was ready with his wand in case he needed to cast a _Levitate_ for the taller boy if the blond fell down of shock and fainted. Draco felt his legs were very much turned into jelly. But, no, he could control himself. He would stand straight, no panic, no scream, no tears. He took a hold on the door frame, steadied his breath and vocal.

"Potter, what happened with my wand?" Draco closed his eyes.

"Well, when I dueled Voldemort, he threw a killing curse with the Elder Wand. The curse hit the wand and, um…" Instead of continuing his words, Potter offered the broken wand to Draco, bowing his head, unable to meet the blond's eyes.

The silence impregnated.

Draco stepped forward and took both the three pieces of his wand and the velvet green pouch. He put the pieces into the bag and left in silent. Potter saw him walked back to his room, which was at the far end of the boys' side of the chambers.

As Draco finally arrived in his room, he stared at the pouch in his hands. He kept staring at it motionless. And then he moved toward his trunk and put the pouch in it with care.

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**II. BREAKTHROUGH**

Draco casted _Tempus_. Twenty-five minutes before the Advanced Potions class began. He was leaning against the wall of the Quidditch pitch, chewing a sweet sour green apple he picked from the fruit bowl on the common room. Feeling a dismay to attend the class. A skip maybe would be fine. He already mastered the whole potions on the advanced potions book anyway. Besides, it would only cause him harm if he tried to do today's potion with his mother's wand. The potion they would brew today needed wand work and he doubted the wand would behave to collaborate with potions brew.

He sighed. How would he brew potions without his own wand? After he graduate, he planned to be a potions master. It was more of a dream actually. His passion toward potions had been nested in his mind since the first time his father took him to the Malfoy Apothecary headquarters when he was seven. And then he found his father's alchemy book on his father's table at the library after they returned to the manor.

Should he give up his life dream just because of a wand he possibly wouldn't own in the future? No wand masters wanted to give him wand. Malfoy's name was banned from wand shops of the Wizarding world.

Walking toward the dungeon, Draco took a long route to the advanced potions classroom, avoiding crowd ways. There were a lot of students who looked at him as traitor and an ex-Death Eater. Many of them blamed him for the death of people who contributed in the battle. Be it in good side or family of Death Eaters.

He arrived at the class just as Professor Slughorn entered the room. Today they would work in pair. He saw all the Eighth year and Seventh year were already self-paired. This meant he would work alone. Which was fine by him. Even it was better because he could concentrate in brewing without any disturbance of incapable partner. Like Potter. He checked who the dark hair's partner was and found himself smirked when he saw Thomas was the partner. They both suck in advanced potions.

As the lesson began, Draco delicately brewed the Tractura Vesania, a N.E.W.T. level potion. If he might say, the potion should be classed as a potions master level as it was one of the few sophisticated potion ever invented in Wizarding World. Well, so far. When he becomes a potions master next, someday he would create so much more complex formulas of potions ever exist.

After brewing for sixty-six minutes and six second, it's time to stir the potion with wand movement. Hopefully his wand would cooperate with him. It was. Draco relieved. When he looked around, he caught Potter's eyes. The said boy averted his eyes swiftly to his own cauldron when Draco caught him staring. Draco raised his eyebrow. How long had the boy staring at him, was the first question came in Draco's mind. His eyes lingered to the dark haired boy for a few seconds before he returned his gaze to his own cauldron.

He checked the color was in perfect aquamarine like it was supposed to be. The next thirteen minutes he waited the potions by leaning against the stone wall. His hands slipped inside his trousers' pockets. Draco took the awaiting moment by observing the class. Some pairs were still struggling with the bluegrass, some other looked confused by the direction in the book. He even noticed Granger's frustration and complaint at his partner about the right color of the liquid. And then his eyes fell to Potter. It looked like the boy had trouble with the brewing as he was tugging his hair every few seconds. Sweat drops trailed down from his face. Potter was checking the formula on the book while nibbling his bottom lip. Once in a while he had a debate with Thomas with his hand pulling his already messy hair. Draco's hand itched to bat the abusing hand.

Draco was startled when Slughorn made a comment about his brewing.

"Oh this is very good, Mr. Malfoy! So far, it seems like you'll be the only student to successfully brewing this potion. Oh, such lovely color."

Draco stood frozen. All eyes aimed at him and then to his cauldron. A pair of Seventh year Hufflepuff boys even had the bravery to move toward his desk and checked the content of his cauldron.

"See, it's supposed to be clear aquamarine!" Said a Seventh year boy to his partner who looked sheepishly.

"Well, ours is changing to that." The partner defended himself.

"Muddy blue which looks like it has tendency to shift to purple you idiot!"

"It's not! I saw Granger's also had the same color as ours. Let it proceed to that color and be patient!"

Granger shamefacedly moved behind Weasel, hiding his reddened face.

"Hush you two, go back to your cauldron now. And no, Mr. Wallader, Miss Granger, it supposed to be marigold before it changes into aquamarine. Not muddy blue." Slughorn moved to check other cauldrons.

oOo

Draco checked his hand watch. It's right thirteen minutes had passed now. He looked inside his cauldron. The color was now silver. All right, this was it. One movement from his wand and the color would turn into transparent silver and he's done with the potion.

Taking a big breath, Draco raised his wand. He began to make spiral movement with his wand right above the cauldron. Vaguely he heard the class held their breath as he did so. Draco whispered the incantation word while moving his wand.

"_Lex insaniae_…" He moved his wand clockwise seven times.

After the seventh movement, he turned the movement counter clockwise and began to chant the incantation for the second time.

That was when things went wrong. His wand made a little spark on its tip. The liquid started to float in spiral then suddenly it burst toward his wand. In reflex, Draco released his grip from the wand as the silvery liquid covering his wand fled up.

"_Evanesco_!" Slughorn pointed his wand to the liquid. The liquid was gone in instant. Draco's wand fell down the floor, cracked. Unconsciously he looked at Potter and their eyes met.

After the incident, Draco was excused from the class. Professor Slughorn failed to fix his mother's wand. The damage was severe.

Draco walked grimly to his quarters. He was sure by the lunch today, words would have spread Hogwarts-wide. As he arrived at the ground floor, Draco decided solitary was all he needed now. So instead of walking back to his room, Draco wandered toward the forest, his favorite escapade place. Somehow, it was secluded from the outside, even from extreme weather. When rain poured Hogwarts badly, it's drizzled here. And when Hogwarts was veiled in white snow, it was a mere light snow. All in all, the hidden spot was cozy despite the winter.

He kept walking deeper into the forest until it reached the permitted boundary line. This was so far he ever explored the Forbidden Forest. As he found "his" tree, he threw his back against the big trunk.

He took a deep breath once, and exhaled. Eyes staring through the darker side of the forest. Tardily his body glided down until he landed on the damp ground, legs folded. His arms embracing the knees and Draco dropped his head on them, broken cry.

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He must have been fallen asleep. The light around was brighter and warmer than before Draco came. What time was it now? He still had Advanced Arithmancy classes today.

His sense returned fully when he heard something afar. He rose up abruptly in alert. He was in Forbidden Forest, possibly noon at its peak, alone, and without wand. He gulped. He better- No, he must leave the forest now!

When Draco turned back toward the exit way, he heard the sound again and this time it sounded clearer.

Something like stomping and writhing of an animal. Draco turned his head to look behind him, through the deeper forest. Eyes wide opened sharp with alert. There! It writhed again. He inhaled, put his ears in higher sense and heard whinny voice.

Oh Merlin! Centaur? But centaurs didn't make that kind of voice, did they? Draco swallowed. What if…Hippogriff? Nah, they were far away on the east side near Hagrid's hut. So was it just a normal horse then? But Draco never saw normal horses in the forest.

Curious, or maybe he was losing his sanity at the lack of breakfast and lunch, Draco turned back his body facing the whinny sound. Trying to stroll stealthily, Draco moved his feet to the deeper forest, through trees thickened about. The air around felt cold and heavy. He clutched to his bag, walking deeper into the tall woods. And then he saw it.

Draco's breath was caught by a pure white Unicorn lying on the ground before him. Half part of its body was blocked by a fallen trunk. Draco looked around. Assured that they were alone, he approached the beast. He gasped when he realised that one of the Unicorn's front feet was bound by the heavy trunk. Silver blood puddled beneath the wounded leg. A sharp branch bored the leg.

"Merlin! How did this happen?" Perhaps Draco was awakened by the collapse sound of the tree he was sure didn't hear. He rummaged into his bag for a wand but stopped as he remembered it was broken. "What do I do now?" Lift the trunk was impossible. Should he call Hagrid then? A long and loud whinny from the beast informed Draco that the pain must be unbearable. Confused and didn't know what to do, he jumped off the big trunk and positioned himself beside the wounded beast and started to lift up the trunk. It didn't move a millimeter away. He straightened his body, put down his bag, rolling his sleeves to the elbows –because he wouldn't risk his white shirt in dirt—and tried again.

"Oh this is ridiculous! I'm calling Hagrid!" Draco reached his bag on the ground and he was startled by a weak whinny sound as he was about to walk away.

"W-what…? Are you afraid?" Draco fell on his knees, "Oh poor you, don't worry I'm not leaving you. Just fetching Hagrid for you, all right?" Draco stroked the Unicorn's body.

Whether the Unicorn understood his words or it was simply relieved that he didn't left, the Unicorn seemed calmed.

Suddenly he heard a harsh whizz behind him. He turned his head to find a huge bat-winged horse-like thing with a skeletal body and face with reptilian feature. Its empty white eyes stared down at him, ten feet away.

Draco stood up with a shock and frozen body, eyes wide open, choked with his own breath.

_Bloody hell what's that! Merlin I'm doomed! I'm doomed! Was it going to eat him?_

oOo

What was that! Draco never saw the thing before! Not even in the Care for Magical Creatures class. Hippogriff? No, it's not. Though, it had the same pointy beak. Oh Merlin was the thing going to eat him alive? Thinking quick, Draco did what he hopefully right to do. He lowered his torso and gave the beast a respect bow, while keeping eye contact. The beast cocked its head and then looked away.

"What the hell?"

If it was a human, Draco could say that the beast looked like it had just gave him an ignorant gesture arrogantly. The beast, whizzed again, vapour rising from its nostril in the cold air and slowly it turned his head toward Draco. Draco gulped. With low speed, the beast walked closer. Closing his eyes, Draco thought this was his last chance to breath. But terrifying things what he thought would happen didn't come. Draco opened his eyes and blinked. The beast, the big looked-murderous beast, put both its front legs by the fallen trunk and in his one blink, the heavy trunk kicked away several feet from the Unicorn.

A crying nicker deafening Draco's ears. He looked down at the Unicorn's wounded leg and saw the attached branch prodded the flesh deeper to more silver blood flood. Without a thought Draco whisked down and stroked the crying Unicorn hoping to calm the magical creature. He heard a whiff behind. Oh no, was the beast planned to eat the Unicorn? It looked like a kind of carnivore beast. And because the Unicorn was wounded, perhaps the horse-like skeleton beast smelled its flesh and blood.

Feeling fear for the Unicorn, and somehow attached a little pity to it, Draco made a risky decision. Unicorns were able to heal themselves naturally by the extremely powerful regeneration ability. The sooner the wound healed, the sooner the Unicorn can save itself from the predator. Strengthened himself, Draco took the wounded leg into his left hand, held it tightly, and with a brief warning to the Unicorn, Draco pulled the branch out of the leg and threw it far to the inner direction of the forest, hoping the beast behind him would run off chasing the bloody branch. Well, it wasn't a dog, but worth the try.

Again, a deafening cry came from the white Unicorn. Draco went pale.

"Come on, you can do it! Heal yourself!"

Silver blood rushed out of the flesh, running down the earth. Some of the silver liquid covering Draco's left arm that was holding the wounded leg. Draco hissed. The silver blood felt hot on his skin. Or maybe it's the opposite; his skin felt burnt by the blood's contact. He recalled the lesson about Unicorns and found nothing about the effect of Unicorn's blood when it made contact with human's skin. Draco looked at his arm. The blood was now covering all the surface of his left forearm. It felt so hot. He released his grip on the Unicorn's leg and watching as the open flesh magically closed.

"You healed!" Draco exhaled in relief. He felt something hard nudged his back. He looked back and

"AAAAAARGH!"

He let out a scream and bolted. The horse-like beast was now face to face with him. From the corner of his eye, Draco noticed the Unicorn rose up from the ground and was now stood firm. The Unicorn stroked then ducked its side part of its face to Draco.

Insane. He must be insane! He must have got some of the Tractura Vesania draught when the accident happened at class. That's why he acted and thought out of his logic whole this time. He just had the impression that the Unicorn had just thanked him and now it wanted him to thank the other beast. Draco rose on his feet and timidly raised his hand to the horse-like beast's head and gave a light pat while saying thank you. Again, the beast cocked his head while keeping his eyes on Draco's and then walked away, disappeared between crowded trees and bushes.

"…Well, that was…not so ordinary…" Draco fell back to the ground, feeling his legs weakened by everything that had happened. His notion was back to reality as he felt a slight pain on his left arm. His arm covered with the stick silver blood. He wiped off the blood from his arm and cleaned it with his handkerchief. Skin with the Death Eater scar on his forearm reddened.

"Is your blood poisonous?" Draco asked the Unicorn.

The now-perfectly-healed Unicorn was staring back at him, once again brushing its face to Draco's body and then hopped into the forest within.

Draco looked up to the sky and noticed it must be past lunch and he had a chance to miss Advanced Arithmancy class this noon. Checking his hand watch, it turned out that he still had a chance to attend the class. It's nearly one now. Rolling back his sleeves to the wrists, Draco sighed and walked back to the edge of the forest. Of course, didn't forget Draco brushed clean with his bare hands any dirt on his robe and tailored trousers.

Arrived at the quarter, Draco locked himself in his room. He pulled out his mother's wand and put it on the desk before sat on the chair. Should he write letter to his mother immediately, or should he consult this to headmistress first?

Arms folded on the desk, Draco stared at the empty air.

A wizard student without a wand.

He felt like a squib attending a magical school.

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After a moment of silence and nothingness in his mind, Draco's ears caught persistent knocks on his door. Stood up from the chair, Draco checked his face on the mirror. Made sure he got the presentable look, Draco walked toward the door. He opened it and he found Potter stood before him.

Draco stood without saying anything. Because he didn't want to speak nor did he know what to say to his former enemy. Potter looked uncomfortable and stood uneasily. Draco was just staring at him. Not glaring, just staring, as if he stared at the empty air.

"Malfoy, I'm sorry about your wand."

"Why should you apologise. You did nothing." Draco moved his hand to close the door.

"Wait! Malfoy…" Potter held the door and stepped inside Draco's room without invitation.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Draco asked, slightly annoyed.

"I…Can we—"

"Out. There's nothing to talk about. Out now, Potter. I don't need your pity." Draco held the door.

"Malfoy, I can—," Potter paused and he casted a silencing bubble around them, "I can fix your mother's wand." Potter blurted out.

"You what?" Draco gave the dark hair boy his opened wide eyes.

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**III. CONCERN**

With a whip of his hand, Potter closed the door.

"I think helping me fix my wand isn't something against the law, Potter." Draco quirked his eyebrow Malfoyishly, "And Potter, as far as I know, you, as in general, can't fix a broken wand."

"Yes, you can't. But this wand," Potter raised his wand to show it to Draco, "was once broken."

"How that possibly…Wait. Potter, are you saying that there's a wand master who can fix broken wand out there? If that's true, Potter, in case you completely ignorant about your surroundings, no wand master accept Malfoy in their shop now. Our name is ostracised from their shops."

"No, I won't bring your wand to them. Well, do you want me to fix it or not?" Potter rubbed the back of his neck.

"Potter, you sound very insisted to fix my wand." Draco saw Potter flushed. "Oh, I see. Guilty feeling of a hero complex of yours."

"I'm not a hero complex! Look, you need the wand, don't you?"

"I can borrow my father's wand." Draco stared down at the emerald eyes. He noticed that they were only several inches distant. So the dark hair boy had grown now. Potter's view line which was on his pointy chin was now leveled Draco's mouth.

"No, you can't." Potter noticed Draco's shock, "I know your father needs it. There are still a lot of ex-Death Eaters who had fled into hiding still seeking for revenge to your father."

Draco shifted on his feet.

"Just…trust me, this once. Look, everybody in Hogwarts knows your wand is broken and at lunch I heard words about students who don't fancy you might hex you because you are now defenseless." Potter nibbled his bottom lip, staring at Draco's silver eyes. Draco stared back and thinking about the offer.

"Fine. I give you a try to fix it." Draco moved to take his wand but stopped by Potter.

"I can't fix it now." Potter gave him an apologise look.

"What do you mean you can't fix it now? All you need is raise your wand, cast the charm and fix my wand." Draco made a face to the younger boy.

"Yes, you see…it's not that easy." Potter scratched his head, "Saturday. I only can do it Saturday. We'll talk about it on Saturday."

"Potter, that sounds suspiciously like you'll involve something unavailable to do in Hogwarts." Draco saw a little shock on Potter's eyes. "Fine. I'll wait for Saturday. Until then, guess I'll have to give extra attention to my shoulders."

"I can-" Potter cut his words and his cheeks tinted red. Draco studied his face.

"What time is it now?" Draco asked Potter. Potter casted _Tempus_ that showing it was two minutes before two. "I have Advanced Arithmancy until three forty-five. We'll talk about this after the class." Draco gave the dark hair boy a chance to decline the request by making a pause. The other boy nodded hesitantly.

When Potter raised his wand to dismiss the silencing bubble, Draco caught his wrist.

"Wait. Potter, why did you cast the silencing bubble?"

Potter's eyes widened and staring at Draco's hand clutching his right wrist.

"Nobody should know I can fix your wand."

"Why?" Draco waited patiently for the answer, only never he got any from Potter. "Um, Potter, you're talking about fixing my mother's wand, right? If you really able to fix a wand, why didn't you fix my scattered wand?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd want your wand back. Besides, its damage is…bad enough. I didn't think it could be fixed in any way. But your mother's wand is broken just the same as mine once.."

"All right." Draco released his grip from Potter. Once again, he caught Potter flushed and bit his lip.

"_Finite_." Potter walked toward the door to the exit.

oOo

"Potter," Draco called when the other boy opened the door.

"Yeah?" Potter stopped his step to the hallway.

"Thank you." Draco saw Potter gave him a smile that looked sincere.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Draco loved numbers. They were absolute truth in universe. Despite his sadness for the broken wand, he enjoyed the Advanced Arithmancy class very much that day.

It was four sharp and the class was over. Draco tidied his parchment, quill, ink and the book then reached down for his dragon leather bag, only to touch no thing. He looked down, searching for his bag. He was sure he put it just beside his bench. He looked around his desk but found it nowhere.

"Looking for this, Malfoy?" A seventh year boy stood in front of the class, holding his bag. Behind him were two others. Slytherins.

"Yes, I was looking for that. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to have it back, Harper." Draco waited for the boy to give him his bag.

"Oh, I do mind." Harper laughed that sounded ugly. The other two joined in bad symphony. "Think we fear you, eh, Malfoy." The younger Slytherin spat at his name. "Tch, look at you now. No one's on your side. No more minions, Malfoy? Poor Malfoy. You're just nothing but a defenseless traitor. Traitor of the Dark Lord and the Wizarding World. No one wants you here, Malfoy. You're pathetic!"

Ah, now Draco remembered. The boy's father was a Death Eater. Several times _Crucioed_ by the Dark Lord at the manor. Killed by the Dark Lord because of his idiocy.

"You look pathetic yourself, Harper. How long was it for you to wait this opportunity? Only dare to confront someone when you are positive they are free from defense?" Draco stood fearless.

"You-! You don't deserve to live, Malfoy! _Petrificus Totalus_!" Harper hexed Draco fell to the floor. He threw Draco's bag hard to the petrified Draco. He kicked his senior and then the three seventh year Slytherins stomped out of the class.

Draco heard a _Colloportus _casted to the door.

Great. Now he was locked in the class, totally petrified. The class would be in use again Thursday noon. That meant he had to wait for two days until someone freed him.

Anger reflected in his silver eyes, hard and cold as steel. He wanted nothing more than to destroy that futile face of boy Harper. No one allowed to underbeat a Malfoy!

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

_Did he really not wanted here?_

Draco presumed two hours had passed since he was petrified. He heard no noise outdoor. The tower was completely deserted, which meant it was dinner time.

It might be his imagination of hope, but his ears positively heard the door clicked open. Afterward, soft footsteps were echoed around the darkened empty class room.

Harry Potter came into Draco's view.

"Finite Incantatem!"

Draco inhaled deep, blinking to Potter.

"All right?" Potter leant down, offering his hand to Draco.

Draco took the hand without hesitation and pushed off the gravity on his feet. He checked his robe and made little gesture to brush any existed or imaginary dusts. He saw Potter took his bag from the cold floor and handed it to Draco.

"Thank you." Draco took over the strap, brushing his callused fingers with Potter's.

Potter gasped.

"Your fingers are cold." Potter stated the fact, "_Fervensium_."

As Draco heard the whispered charm, warmth intensely embraced him. He gasped in appreciation. He saw Potter's face turned red. Draco wondered if the charm was so strong that its effect radiated out of his body, causing the dark haired boy to have a touch of the warmth that it tinted Potter's rosy cheeks to red.

The younger wizard cleared his throat.

"It's dinner time. Do you want to go straight to the Great Hall or do you want to go to your room first? We still have one hour before dinner tables cleared." Potter clutched his wand still.

Draco was very, very curious about all of sudden interest his former enemy gave him.

"How did you know that I was here?" He asked the dark hair instead.

Potter did the biting bottom lip again. It started to disturb Draco, in odd way he couldn't describe.

"Um…you've been missing for two hour since the class ended." Potter scratched the back of his neck.

Draco gave the dark hair boy a suspicious look. A sudden realization came in his mind.

"You know, Potter, I notice in my Hogwarts years you seem to always know my whereabouts." Draco stepped one foot closer. They were one foot distance now.

Potter stepped backward, swallowed audibly.

Draco's eyes lingered on the dark hair's Adam apple motion. And then slowly his silver eyes averted up toward the emerald ones which were wide opened.

"W-what..I didn't…it was…I mean…uh…" Potter seemed like he wanted to run away.

Saving the Gryffindor any discomfort, Draco pulled himself backward. He flung the strap of his bag on his left shoulder.

"I think I'll just go back to my room. I'm not in the mood of taking a chance for another hex." Draco clenched his jaw.

"All right. Let's go then. It's so cold here!" Potter rubbed his upper arms up and down in quick motion.

Draco chuckled, smiling at the dark hair boy. Bewildered by the one boy before him.

"What?" Potter pouted at him. _Pouted_!

"It's mid January, Potter, if you forget. Of course it's cold. Especially when you're not wearing any outers." Draco blinked. It was as if he just realized the dark hair's condition. Draco studied the Gryffindor, checking up and down. Potter wore only brown T-shirt with green patterned flannel and a pair of black jeans. Nothing more. But Draco had to approve that the clothes complimented the dark hair's emerald eyes and his unruly dark hair.

"Potter, why do you stray around without any outers?" Draco rummaged inside his bag and pulled out his pure-cashmere green scarf, handed it to Potter.

"What?" Potter stared at the scarf, then to Draco, then to the scarf again. Draco rolled his eyes. He shoved his scarf to Potter.

"Wear it. At least your neck won't get chill." Draco walked pass the stilled boy. Without looking back, he called Potter. "Come on, Potter. I'm starving!" The blond heard a shuffling movement behind. He pulled a smirk as Potter appeared beside him. His soft scarf twisted around Potter's neck.

"I thought you weren't hungry."

"Changed my mind. Minus breakfast and lunch is more than enough for me today."

Potter turned his head to Draco and looked up at him, smiling like a fool. Draco looked down at him, lifted one of his eyebrows elegantly, and then smirked back at Potter.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Draco and Potter walked toward the Great Hall leisurely. In Draco's case, he felt reluctant to gather with the whole body of Hogwarts. He always took a sit at the edge of the table, near the entrance doors. Coming first and escaped in right moment to avoid unwanted attention. Even when he could, he would skip meal times. Chocolates and sweets from his mother were enough to keep his form and nutrient-fulfilled. What about Potter? Draco knew the Boy Who Lived Twice didn't like attention the world gave him. He could see all those discomfort gestures on Potter when crowds were fussing over him.

The twilight painted beautifully the Hogwarts' sky. Winter air breezed frigidly. The boy beside him flushed in the cold wind, hugging himself tightly and leant into Draco's side.

"Potter, are you so ignorant of this use?" Draco snatched Potter's wand from its master's grip and pointed it to the startled boy. "_Fervensium._"

"Oh." If possible, Potter's face reddened deeper than before.

They stopped few feet distant from the Great Hall.

"I don't feel like going inside.." Draco told the Gryffindor weakly.

"Yeah. Me, too." Potter hunched, burying his face into Draco's scarf. Draco found the gesture adorable.

Wait. No, not adorable. He meant annoying. Yes, annoying gesture! Definitely annoying!

"I have better idea. Come on." Draco maneuvered back toward the west side of Hogwarts.

"What? Where are we going, Malfoy?" Potter followed him anyway.

At one point during the trip toward their chambers, Draco confused himself thinking what on Merlin's name was he doing, acting friendly to Harry Potter. His ex-archrival. The boy who annoyed him to hell. The Gryffindor who was always haunted his head. Merlin, he must be desperately alone that he talked with Potter now!

oOo

"Come in, Potter." Draco opened his room's door for the bewildered boy stood before him. Hesitantly Potter came inside the room. Draco threw his bag to the desk. It landed with a mild thud. He proceeded to freed himself from his robe and then opened his trunk and pulled out a box with a size of a Care of Magical Creatures book. He hopped onto the unoccupied bed, which was near the desk and the door. He put the dark wooden box on the bed before him.

"Well, sit down, Potter." Draco pointed to the empty air before him with his chin.

Potter circled the bed and then took a seat before Draco. The box nested safely between them.

"What's that?" Potter eyed the box.

Draco gave him a cocky smirk and opened the box.

Oh yes, the Slytherin enjoyed the surprise look on Potter's face. Jaw opened, eyeballs as if nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Fix yourself, Potter." Draco gave an example by pulling out a box of truffles from the box. Opened the lid of the assortment box, Draco enjoyed his favorite assortment while watching the dark hair boy eyeing the box's content.

"Go on, take some. You haven't got your dinner, have you? There's…" Draco put the truffles box on his lap and pulling out the rest of the wooden box content.

There were three other boxes arranged vertically inside. Draco put each of the boxes on the bed. There were Turkish Delight box, S'more cookies box, and Cheesecake Bites box. Potter glanced at the blond, which was looking back at him. Finally drooling Potter grabbed the Turkish Delight box. Draco put the other boxes back inside the wooden box and closed it.

"Mmm Malfoy, this is delicious!" Potter chewed the sweet greedily. Draco chuckled.

"Here, try this one." Draco offered the dark hair his truffles box.

"Oh God, 's good." Potter ate a truffle while staring at Draco with his glassy eyes, so touched by the deliciousness in his mouth. "It's a magical box, isn't it? Look doesn't fit for all these boxes."

"Yes, it is." Draco wouldn't tell him that it has its twin at the manor's kitchen and both were connected. Since the beginning of this term he requested a lot to Tippy, his personal house-elf, to provide him various foods into the box.

"Merlin, that's awesome! No wonder you were missing a lot at meal times! If I had one, I wouldn't want to go out of my room unless for classes! I'd be quite content with this box in my room." Potter swallowed another piece of the sweets and gazing at the wooden box dreamily.

"Did you watch me on Great Hall times, Potter?" Draco shocked by the Gryffindor's indirect confession. Potter seemed taken aback by this.

"Anyway where did you get this box? I didn't know there is any in Diagon Alley." Potter bowed his head, studying the delight on his lap. Draco suspected the boy's face went red.

"There isn't. It's the Malfoy's heritage." Draco explained short. "Oh, and Potter, tell anyone about the box and you're history."

They ate silently in the blissful peace of Tuesday evening, in Draco's room.

Potter inhaled Draco's scarf, lingering still around his warm neck.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Sated, Draco put back the wooden box into his trunk. Discarded assortment boxes _Evanesco_ed by Potter.

"Um, thank you, Malfoy, for the...dinner." They both laughed mildly. "Well, I guess I'll go back to my room, then." Potter stood up from the unoccupied bed and touched the door's handle.

"You know," Draco walked closer, making the Gryffindor paused his act. "I never really hated you, Potter."

"I never really hated you, too, Malfoy." Potter's emerald eyes meet Draco's warm silver ones.

His scarf was really suits those beautiful eyes, Draco thought.

Draco was once again alone in his room. Potter had gone back to his own room with Draco's favorite scarf. The blond didn't ask the boy to give it back.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

**IV. DIVERSION**

Draco awakened by the sharp pain that stressed his left forearm. He rose up and rolled the sleeve of his silk pyjama and saw the skin beneath the Dark Eark scar was red as if it was burnt. It was worse than yesterday. Even the scar was reddened that it looked emerged from the skin. He bolted toward the bathroom and immediately ran cold air to his burnt forearm.

"What the hell is happening with my arm?" The flow of the cold water didn't soothe his skin.

The only option to know what was happening was by going to library and look up the book about Unicorn. No way Draco would go to the infirmary and let others see the scar of dark mark on his skin. So he took a quick shower, got dressed and grabbed the robe folded on the chair. He searched for his scarf but then remembered where it was. Draco smiled.

Draco checked his hand watch. It was six in the morning. He had Charm at nine. He could have visited the library before Charm and do the research, which he didn't like to waste his time for it. Unless…

oOo

Draco walked into the Great Hall. It was eight thirty so the hall was half emptied now. He took a seat at the empty space in Slytherin table, as near as the Hogwarts Staff table. He took a chocolate pudding dessert as he looked around. Potter wasn't found anywhere in the Gryffindor side. Draco frowned as he saw Granger and the Weasels were there. It was very unusual view. To rethink of it, he rarely saw Potter with his friends since they returned to Hogwarts. Draco also noticed that Potter wasn't often seen around at meals time in Great Hall.

A third year Slytherin boy walked into the Great Hall and approached closer to his side of the table.

The boy straddled the bench beside his two friends who were still busy eating since Draco came. They sat at the opposite bench of Draco's.

"Haven't finished yet, you two? Anyway, guess what, Filch found Harper in the dungeon." Said the boy.

"So? He's a Slytherin. Of course Filch would find him in the dungeon!" One of the boy's friends commented dryly.

"Nooo. He found Harper petrified. Apparently someone had hexed him with Petrificus Totalus when he went out of the common room for breakfast!"

"Seriously! Who would be that stupid enough to hex Harper? He's nasty and everyone knows that!" The other boy's friends asked.

"Harper said he didn't see the person." The boy shrugged. "But you know what the weird part is?"

"What?" The boy's friends waited.

"The person who hexed him discarded his robe! Harper was as white as sheet! You know how cold it is in the dungeon in winter." The boy told them and then they three shuddered.

In the corner of his eye Draco saw the Hogwarts staffs were beginning to leave their seats. Draco rose to his feet and walked to the front of the hall.

oOo

"Professor Hagrid, can I talk to you for a moment?" Draco stopped the Care of Magical Creatures professor on his way out the hall.

"Malfoy. Heard about yer wand yesterday. Guessed yer upset, eh." Hagrid nodded his head.

"Yes… Professor, can I ask you something? Does Unicorn's blood have negative effect if it makes contact with human's skin?" Draco hoped nobody hear their conversation. He could see from the corner of his eye that everybody in the Great Hall was watching him.

"Nope. Unicorn is a pure creature. Doesn't do harm." Hagrid answered.

Draco was disagreed to the statement because the burnt on his arm said the opposite. But wait. Pure…. Of course! Stupid him! Draco cursed mentally. Such pure thing as Unicorn blood would make negative reaction to the dark magic attached on his skin! Draco grimaced.

"Right. Thank you, professor." Draco left the Great Hall toward the headmistress office.

Just right before Headmistress McGonagall reached the gargoyle, Draco called her.

"Professor McGonagall."

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. I believe you come to consult about recent issue. Come up. Scottish Fold." The headmistress told the gargoyle the password and the spiral staircase toward her office arose.

They both stepped on it.

oOo

"Take your seat, Malfoy." McGonagall nodded to the armchair before her table as they arrived at her office.

"Thank you. Professor, you've heard about my mother's wand. I can't find any substitute wand at the moment, professor. Attending wand-work classes in this situation seems…non productive if I may say, professor. " Draco said to the point.

"I see you have your point, Malfoy. Well, in your condition, I know it will be difficult to find you a wand. Have you talked to you house head?" McGonagall asked. She gazed to the sleeping ex-headmaster portrait, Dumbledore.

"I haven't talk to Professor Slughorn. I don't think that it's his concern… Or maybe not yours too, professor." Draco's face twitched.

"Of course it's my concern, Malfoy! You are my student." McGonagall seemed shocked. "How about your parents? Have you told them yet?"

"No. I…" Malfoy's name was banned from wand shops. His father couldn't lend him his wand because he needed it to protect the manor from the loyal ex-Death Eaters. Plus, his father's wand was also in house-arrest for a year like its owner. Draco didn't want to remind her about it.

"I see. Very well, Malfoy. Go owl your parents and until we have the solution, I'll inform your professors that you are dismissed from any wand classes. But I suggest you attend the classes for the theoretical lessons, if not to participate the wand practices. Now, off out."

Draco saw Severus Snape's portrait eyed him.

oOo

Draco skipped Charm. At noon he intended to take lunch at Great Hall, hoping Icarus returned with a letter from his mother. Unfortunately, his eagle hadn't returned yet. Draco put the half eaten green apple down to the table and walked out of the hall.

Passing the courtyard, he spotted Potter. The boy was talking with Ginny Weasley –Draco preferred to call her Weaselette— and Potter looked annoyed. Maybe they had a row. Draco continued his walk toward the chambers.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

"Malfoy!" He heard someone called him. But, of course Draco knew whose voice it was. He stopped and looked back.

"Harry!" Weaselette called out Potter who was running toward Draco.

"Potter." Draco greeted the Gryffindor as the boy stood beside him.

"Hey. Um, you're going back to the chambers, right? Better walk then. It's really cold outside." Potter initiated the walk by moving first, followed Draco.

"Avoiding your girlfriend, Potter?" Draco smirked at him.

"She's not my girlfriend." Potter snapped.

"All right." Draco raised both his hand. "Not taking lunch?"

"I… don't really like there. Anyway, have you talked to the headmistress about your wand?" Potter made an eye contact with Draco.

"Yes, this morning." Draco looked down at the dark hair boy. He caught a glimpse of green fabric hidden beneath the robe looped on the boy's neck. Draco blushed as he recognized it.

Wait, why did he blush?

"You cold? Want me to warm you?" Potter pulled out his wand.

"What? No, I'm not cold. Why would you think I am?" Draco furrowed.

"I can see rosy spots on your cheekbones." Potter pointed at Draco's face.

Potter tilted his head, looking at Draco's face studiously.

"What?" Draco stopped.

"Nothing. Let's continue walk. We're close." Potter nodded his head toward the west wing where their chambers were. "So, what did the headmistress say?"

"We're waiting for news from my mother first."

When they arrived at their chambers, Potter turned his body fully toward Draco.

"So, I guess I'll see you at Herbology, then?" Potter rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes." Draco hesitated, but gaining his courage finally asked, "Um, Potter. Want to join me for lunch in my room?"

"Yes!" Potter said eagerly. The boy's face lit up and grinned like a fool.

Draco took out the wooden box again from his trunk.

"Ah, the bless box!" Potter cried as Draco sat on the bed and put it down between them.

"Potter, you can put your robe off. It's not cold here." Draco told the dark hair as he wrote something on a small piece of parchment and then put it inside the box before he closed it again.

"Um, I'm quite comfortable like this." Potter glued his eyes to the box.

"Take off your robe, Potter." Draco asked Potter in a sing song tone.

"Nope, thanks." Potter clutched his robe tight.

"Suit yourself." Draco smirked knowingly.

A moment later two plates of delicious finger sandwiches and vanilla glazed apple cinnamon muffins served before two boys. They ate merrily.

"So, Potter, what are you going to do after Hogwarts?" Draco asked chattily.

"Dunno." Potter shrugged.

"I thought you wanted to be an auror?"

"Yeah. I don't know. I just feel tired of fighting. But, I guess that's the only thing I know and can." Potter answered. He looked…resentful? Sad? "What about you?"

"I planned to be a potions master." Draco slowed his chew of the muffin.

"Oh. You're good in potions." Potter looked up at Draco. "Ah, you have that…sugar thing on your face."

"What? Where?" Draco brushed his face randomly.

"No, there… Here," Potter leant forward and then brushed gently the sugar powder just below Draco's bottom lip, swept from the corner of Draco's mouth with Potter's thumb.

Their eyes met in the proximity.

"Uh, I guess I need to get ready for the next class." Potter bolted up and ran out.

Draco's fingertips touched the spot where Potter's finger was once.

At Herbology classes that day, they pretended didn't see each other.

oOo

Today's class ended at four fifteen. Draco hoped his eagle owl would be back by dinner.

He walked out the green house with the rest of the seventh and eighth years. He rushed down the corridor, passing other students behind.

Harper marched past him, brushing Draco's shoulder with force that caused Draco to trip on his balance and he bumped to the window glass in a hard thud.

"Mind your step, Malfoy!" Harper said as he passed

"Yo—" Draco's word was cut by the bark of none other than Potter.

"You watch your step, Harper!" Potter shouted. Everybody's eyes were on Potter. "Okay?"

Potter stopped beside Draco.

"What's that, Harry?" Weasel, with his ugly scrunching face looking at Potter in disapprove.

"He's looking for trouble." Potter stood still beside Draco.

"Yeah, mate, but you don't have to do the favor for the ferret. Come on." Weasel pulled Potter by the hand.

"Don't start, Ron." Potter warned his friend, but joining the ginger head afterward. "See you at dinner, Malfoy."

"Seriously, Harry?" Draco heard the Weasel asked Potter in disbelieve.

Draco returned to his walk and, Salazar, for the third time, he encountered Harper and his two minions on his way to the chambers. With a nasty touch of a jinx, Draco's bag flipped upside down and the content fell down to the ground.

oOo

"Harper." Draco gritted.

"Well well, if it's not the mighty Malfoy. Not gonna fight back, are you? Oh, yeah, I forgot. He has no wand." Harper sniggered to his minions. The three of them laughed.

"No one to watch your back anymore, Malfoy? Tch, pity." Harper kicked Draco's quill.

"Who said he doesn't have one?"

The four of them jolted by the new voice. They looked at Draco's back and found Harry Potter was standing ten feet away from them.

"P-Potter! What are you doing there?" Harper stepped backward one foot.

"I thought I already told you to watch your step, Harper." Potter walked closer. "And the way I see, you're on his way." Potter was now stood beside Draco.

"Mind your own business, Potter!" Harper raised his wand.

"You mess with him and that's my business." Potter raised his eyebrows on Harper's wand.

Harper raised his chin, forcing himself to look down at Draco from the tip of his nose. If it was in another situation, Draco would laugh at how Harper tried to out height him. A moment later Harper and the minions were gone into the castle.

Draco grabbed his bag on the ground and started to pick its contents which were dropped to the ground. Potter handed him the last item of his possession. Draco stared at the dark hair boy. He wanted to say mind your own business, I don't need your help, or maybe thank you, but honestly he didn't know how he felt about all that.

"I know what you're thinking, Malfoy. So let me make this easier for us. We can walk together, Harper would think twice to hex you again, and nobody gets near me if I'm with you. It's a win win solution." Potter said firmly.

"I don't need your protection, Potter." Draco however, stood fidgety at the way Potter was giving him the look. "Why you don't want everybody around you?"

Potter studied his face. And then he sighed.

"I'm so sick and tired of them wanting to talk to me about the war and I'm a hero thing and..."

"Yes, I understand, Potter." Draco sighed. It really a mutual act. "All right. Whatever you want, Potter."

Draco leant forward a bit. He checked Potter's neck which was hidden underneath the Hogwarts robe. There's a hint of green inside. Draco didn't know where the feeling came from, but he was pleasant by it.

"Ahh!" Suddenly Draco felt a great pain on his left forearm. It felt like thousand needles thrusting his skin. He clutched his left wrist strong.

"What is it? Malfoy, are you all right?" Potter asked in panic voice.

"I'm fine." Draco clutched his wrist still and began to walk toward the chambers.

"You don't look fine. What is it? Did he hex you something?" Potter grabbed Draco's left arm.

"I said I'm fine!" Draco yanked his arm from Potter's grip and he walked hastily toward his room, leaving Potter behind.

oOo

As he arrived in his room, Draco slammed the door frame close, hoping that the Gryffindor boy couldn't override Hogwarts' magic and open his door. Draco then took off his robe and unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and rolled up the sleeve. The skin on the dark mark's scar was crimsoned; including the mark itself flared even deeper red. He hoped Icarus would return immediately to deliver a soothing vial he requested to his father.

Bless Merlin, as soon as he sat on the Great Hall at dinner that day, Icarus came with a letter and a small package. Draco gave his eagle owl a treat after he secured the letter and package into his robe pocket.

His skin wasn't as hurt as this afternoon. Since Tuesday, the great pains came only about a minute before its pain subsided to bearable state, constantly.

A sudden silence took Draco's attention from his plate. He looked up and saw the cause was none other than Potter walking toward Slytherin table. Specifically toward his direction.

"Can I join you?" Potter asked in mild voice.

Draco raised his brows and the Gryffindor took it as a yes. Potter slipped on Draco's left side. Since Draco sat at the very edge of the seat and the other Slytherins always made a space with him, Potter squeezed between Draco and a fourth year Slytherin boy. A plate popped before Potter and the boy proceed to serve himself a dinner.

"Harry! What are you doing in Slytherin table?!" Ron Weasley broke the silence with his roar.

"Eat." Potter answered emotionlessly.

"But—" Whatever the Weasel boy intended to speak was cut by the voice of their headmistress.

"Mr. Weasley, I believe it is not against rules for Mr. Potter to sit on the Slytherin table. Have you forgotten my words about the House Unity at the beginning of this term?" McGonagall stood tall from her seat.

"No, ma'am." Weasel said lowly and sat down back.

Professor McGonagall had officially become Draco's favorite teacher. Though, Draco felt annoyed by the glare Weaselette directed at Potter the whole dinner. But that wasn't important and definitely not worth his time to mind. Instead he watched the dark hair boy eating treacle tart eagerly.

"Do you have treacle tart in the bless box, Malfoy?" Potter asked while lifting a fork of the desert toward his mouth.

"I can ask any food I want, Potter." Draco grabbed a delicious looking green apple.

"Cool." Potter smiled wide at Draco and wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Draco laughed by the implication.

Talking about cool, Potter wasn't wearing his robe. Draco significantly felt disappointed at the lack of his green scarf on the dark hair boy. And talking about cool, his blood drained from his face as Draco realised he had just laughed freely in front of everyone. Bloody hell! Draco set his stoic face back to his face. However, when he took a glance down at Potter's face, he soon lost his regret of displaying an emotion. Potter looked very pleasant at the laughing Draco.

Draco wanted to go back to his room and read his mother's letter straight after dinner that night. But he sensed Potter was holding out dinner time until all his Gryffindor friends were gone. So he stayed with Potter.

At dinner's end, finally Potter's-gang-minus-Potter had all gone and Draco stood up.

"Well, Potter, I should go back to my room now." Draco waited the other boy stood up as well.

"Oh, all right."

"And where are you going to?" Draco raised his eyebrow.

"Um…dunno. Just…walk around I guess. Need fresh air." Potter looked away.

"Not avoiding your friends?" Draco pointed correctly.

"Er…I'm going to the Quidditch pitch. Bye, Malfoy." Potter left before Draco had a chance to inform him that it was snowy outside.

oOo

As soon as Draco stepped inside his room, he pulled out the letter and the soothing vial from his robe.

He opened his mother's letter and read it. Draco read it twice before he rolled the letter and put it inside the drawer.

He needed to find Potter now!

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

**V. EVANESCENT**

It was freezing cold outside, especially on the empty space where winter blows could freeze owls. Draco wrapped tighter his body with his dark green robe, his eighteen's birthday present from his parents.

He walked to the black pitch of Quidditch field. Draco looked around but couldn't spot Potter anywhere. Perhaps the boy was lying when he said he would go here.

"I miss flying." A voice startled Draco.

Draco looked around and saw Potter stood by the audience tower. Draco walked approaching Potter.

"Your platinum hair glows in the dark, Malfoy. It was easy to spot you there." Potter said as Draco stood two feet before him.

Draco raised the robe's hood and covered his head.

"How about now?" Draco asked the dark hair boy.

"Well hidden!" Potter laughed.

"Potter, can you really fix my mother's wand?" Draco asked to the point.

"What happened? Did Harper attack you again?" Potter sounded angry.

"I've just received a letter from my mother. My parents couldn't get me another wand."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Potter bit his lips.

"Don't sorry for what you didn't do, Potter!" Draco snapped. He often heard Potter apologised a lot to people whose their damages weren't even caused by any Potter's acts. Draco felt disturbed by it somehow.

"Sorry." Potter lowered his head.

"You did it again. So, can you, Potter, fix my wand? Are you positive my mother's wand can be fixed?" Draco asked. "Look, Potter, I know this isn't your fault at all. But I just…" Draco bit his bottom lip, staring at Potter's emerald eyes with plead. And then Draco's eyes fell down below Potter's face. A green cashmere scarf wrapped loosely around Potter's neck, causing it to cover the Gryffindor's chin. Potter followed the gaze and when his eyes fell to the blonde's scarf, he gasped.

"I…I… " Potter reached up and unwrapped the scarf.

"It's fine. You're cold." Draco put his hand gently on Potter's to stop him from disengaging the scarf from his neck. Draco's hand lingered far too long from appropriate manner.

"T-thanks." Potter didn't remove his hand from the scarf, nor asked Draco to take his hand off of him.

oOo

"Harry! What are you doing there with Malfoy?"

A female voice surprised them both. Automatically they dropped their hands down and looked toward the voice.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" Potter shouted back.

"No. What are YOU doing here, with Malfoy?" Weaselette stomped toward the boys.

"How did you find me? Were you following me?" Potter asked her back. He looked displeased by her.

"This!" Weaselette shoved a folded parchment to Potter. "What are you two doing here?"

"I might be wrong, but I think that's none of your business, Weaselette." Draco stepped forward.

"Shut up, Malfoy! Harry?" Weaselette crossed her arms over her chest, demanding explanation from Potter.

"I was talking with Malfoy." Potter said briefly.

"What, Harry?" Ron Weasley came into view, with his girlfriend Granger, "You keep avoiding us, rarely join with us, but you have time with the ferret? What the hell is wrong with you, Harry?"

"Me? What is wrong with me? I have everyone fussing over me the whole time and all I see it's The Boy Who Live they're looking at, not me. How does it feel to you if you have that kind of strangers around you? I just want to be alone, just with you two is enough, but you two seem so busy with your own…things. I…the point is, you're the ones who are withdrawing from me. And Ginny, please, don't act like I'm your boyfriend. I've always see you as a sister. So, please, can you all let me alone for a while? I just want peace for once in my life." Potter dashed out of the field.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. I didn't….oh!" Granger sobbed in her hands.

All of them were speechless. None were dared to chase Potter. Draco grabbed the parchment from the ground and came after Potter.

Draco saw Potter but didn't call him out. Instead Draco doubled his speed until they both walked side by side. When they arrived at their chambers, Draco walked Potter to his room.

oOo

"Potter, I believe it's yours." Draco handed Potter the parchment as the boy reached the door handle.

"Thanks." Potter turned toward Draco and took the parchment.

"What's that?" Draco asked.

Potter unfolded the parchment and studying the…

"Is that a map?" Draco peered into the parchment. "Merlin, it's Hogwarts map! And what are those moving labels?" Draco leant closer.

"I'll tell you about this tomorrow. Look, Malfoy, I'm sorry about what happened. I shouldn't yell at them." Potter lowered his head.

"I say you have the right to do so, Potter. I think you need some time alone now. I'll see you…tomorrow then?" Draco hesitated to ask next, but he thought it was the right thing to do right now, "Or, er…if you need company, I…"

"No, I'm fine. But thank you, Malfoy. Um, see you tomorrow then?" Potter looked like he was considering Draco's offer at first.

"See you tomorrow. Good night, Potter." Draco nodded, showing Potter he understood.

"Good night, Malfoy." Potter watched Draco walked away toward his own room.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

At midnight that day Draco awakened by another sharp pain on his forearm. He hadn't tried the soothing vial his father had sent him. Draco took the vial out from his trunk and popped the lid. He poured the blue liquid three drops as his father directed from a note and then smeared it on the red skin. Draco waited for some time.

One minute had passed and the potion hadn't showing its effect. His skin still pain and the scar burnt in anger red. Draco gritted his teeth. The pain was getting worse each time and the duration was increasing. Was he allowed to panic now? But…no, Malfoy didn't panic. He had to endure the pain until it's gone. Would it be gone anyway?

By the morning, Draco was grateful that he woke up. That mean some time last night the pain abated so he fell asleep. It still pain though, but Draco was able to bear such ease pain.

At breakfast, Potter joined Draco on his table once again. During the meal he asked Potter to cast _Muffliato_ around them before he asked the dark hair's permission to tell McGonagall about his plan to fix Draco's wand.

oOo

This Thursday passed without any incident for Draco. At meal time Potter joined him again that day. It seemed the dark hair boy was still avoiding his Gryffindor friends.

The situation repeated on Friday. The pain on Draco's arm became harder to bear. Potter joined him at meal time and still avoiding his friends.

"Potter!" Draco called out as they walked out from the green house. Potter slowed down his steps, waiting for Draco to catch up with him. "So, tomorrow, right?"

"Yep." Potter said short.

Draco heard the strain on the Gryffindor's voice. He spotted the Weasels and Granger were not far behind them. So they walked fast in silent.

"By the way, Potter, you haven't told me about that map." Draco said as they reached the courtyard.

"Oh, that," Potter grinned at him. "I have a better idea than telling you what it is."

When they arrived at the eighth year's common room, someone called Potter.

"Harry!" Weaselette called.

Potter stopped.

"I'll be in my room." Draco looked down at Potter. Ensuring Potter with his eyes if Potter wanted him to stay, he would. Potter nodded and Draco walked toward his room. His ears caught some of their conversation.

"What are you going to do with Malfoy tomorrow?" Weaselette asked in angry tone.

"Nothing. Just…stuff." Potter said.

"Is that why you can't go to Hogsmeade with us tomorrow? Because you'll be with fucking Malf—"

Draco didn't hear the rest of Weaselette words as he closed his door.

oOo

Draco put his bag on the desk and freed himself from the robe. His attempt to lie on bed was killed by another sharp pain on his forearm. Draco rolled his left sleeve and the skin glared deep red as if it was burnt. Draco was holding back not to scream. It was so hurt and hot. He darted toward the bathroom and ran cold water on it. The cold from the water didn't soothe the burning mark, but the cool sensation on the skin around helped Draco to distract the pain slightly until its pain subsided. It took him about ten minutes in the bathroom. He dried his arm and rolled down his sleeve back.

When he was back to the bedroom, he heard a soft knock on the door. Draco opened his door but saw no one. Then something pushed him backward and it shut the door.

"Finite." A whisper heard near Draco and he saw Potter. The Gryffindor had just canceled the Disillusionment charm on himself.

"Hi. Um, sorry for the push." Potter stood beside Draco.

"Potter." Draco greeted the other boy. "Avoiding someone?"

"Er…here. I bring the parchment." Potter waved the item he held and walked to the unoccupied bed.

"Potter, just say it's a map, 'cause I know it is." Draco rolled his eyes and moved to join Potter on the bed.

"Yeah. It's Hogwarts map." Potter unfolded the parchment and showed it to Draco.

"Wow. Where did you get this? Wait, is that…" Draco leant closer to the map, "Merlin! Potter, the moving labels are— it's our names!" Draco pointed at the west side of the Hogwarts map. Specifically at Draco's room in their chambers. The map was showing the fifth floor of the West wing.

"How does it work?" Draco looked at Potter with curiosity and excitement all written on his face.

"Magic." Potter chuckled softly. "Professor Lupin gave it to me."

Draco moved his eyes to the map again.

"Wait, Potter, is that…isn't that Ginerva Weasley label on your door? What is she doing there?" Draco looked up at Potter.

"Er…about that…She insisted to talk to me. So, um, I…" Potter rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"You ran away from your own room. To my room." Draco said dead panned.

"Er…I also locked your door and cast _Silencio_ so she won't hear me here."

"How long will she be waiting for you out there?" Draco staring at Weaselette's label.

"Don't know. Probably all night." Potter shrugged.

"Wait a minute…" Draco narrowed his eyes toward Potter. "So is this how you knew my whereabouts?"

"Er….yeah?" Potter bit his bottom lip. Draco held his tempt to roll his eyes.

"So, Potter. How are you going to fix my mother's wand?" Draco turned his body so he was facing Potter properly.

"Oh, yeah, that. Can't tell you. You'll know it tomorrow." Potter mimicked Draco's movement.

"Playing secret, are we?" Draco lifted his eyebrow.

"Mischief managed." Potter touched the map with the tip of his wand and a moment later the map became a blank parchment.

A moment of silence passed before Draco stood up and walked toward the desk. He opened the drawer and pulled out the new edition of Quidditch and Potions magazines and walked back to bed.

"Here." Draco handed Potter the Quidditch magazine.

"Awesome!" In a motion Potter jumped onto the bed, legs folded and planted the magazine on the space between folded legs, already engrossed completely to it.

Draco smiled at the boy's attitude. The blond positioned himself next to the dark hair boy and started to read the potions magazine.

oOo

Once in a while Draco heard Potter made noises and comments at the magazine. It's like reading with Pansy and Blaise back then. Draco paused his reading. Blaise and her mother moved to France. So was Pansy. If they stayed in England and returned to Hogwarts with him this year, probably they were busy plotting revenge to Harper right now.

But right now, Draco felt content with Potter's companionship.

"Are you okay?" Potter's words startled Draco.

"What? Of course I'm fine." Draco confused by the question.

"Your left hand tenses. You keep clenching it the past half hour." Potter studied Draco's face.

"I'm fine. Just bit cold." Draco lied. He didn't realise he did that. The pain on his arm was heightening.

A second later Potter casted a warmer charm to the room. Draco pulled out his hand watch from his pocket and checked the time.

"Merlin! It's seven already! Have we really been reading for two hours?" Draco blinked.

"Ha! No wonder you felt cold." Potter stretched.

"Do you want to go for dinner?" Draco eyed the dark hair boy. Potter glanced at the map. "Right." Draco put away their magazines and took the bless box –as Potter called it—from his trunk then returned to bed. Draco smiled when saw Potter's eyes were gleaming with joy.

The gleam on Potter's eyes was soon faded as Draco opened the box. Draco didn't like that look on Potter's face. He didn't want to make the boy felt disappointed.

"Oh, come on, Potter. You just had treacle tart two days ago." Draco smirked when he saw Potter surprised that he knew exactly the boy's thought.

"Er…so what's this?" Potter blushed.

"Croquet Monsieur." Draco frowned. He wondered why the house elf gave him two slices of those messy sandwiches.

Potter took a bite of it.

"Mm, this is good. Malfoy, you lucky git." Potter chewed the sandwich like a starving man.

"What?!" Draco made a face.

"Why it's only you who have it. Not fair!"

"Well, it's not fair that you have the map, too."

And they both laughed.

"Hey, Malfoy. If you have this box, why bother the owl to send letters and packages?" Potter asked.

"Potter, we're Malfoys. We do show off." Draco smirked at the gaping Potter. "Besides, it's enchanted so it can only carry sustenance-related here."

They enjoyed their sandwiches while talking about Quidditch. When they finished their dinner, Draco wrote in a small parchment and put it into the box with the empty plate.

"So, we will go somewhere tomorrow, right? When will we go?" Draco asked Potter.

"Um…soon is better." Potter contemplated.

A tap sound came from inside the box and Draco opened it. Potter ooh-ed when Draco pulled out two glasses of green juices. Below the glasses were assortment boxes piled up inside the bless box. Draco handed one glass to Potter.

"Don't forget to wear your warmest outfit tomorrow." Potter told the blond. Draco raised his eyebrow, but Potter gave no elaboration to his words. Potter put his glass to the desk, beside Draco's. The Gryffindor touched the parchment with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Potter whispered. At once, thin ink lines began to spread like from the point Potter's wand had touched. Then the empty parchment showed them their chambers. Potter sighed at the map.

"Well, Potter, suit yourself here as long as you want." Draco said understandingly.

"Sorry. I just don't want to meet her right now." Potter watched the label of Ginerva Weasley floating in their common room.

oOo

The hands of time showed that it was nine already.

"Bloody hell, she's still here!" Potter pulled his hair in despair.

They both had talked about Quidditch, muggle football, potions; even Draco had updated Potter with all gossips around Hogwarts he got from Peeves the Poltergeist. They were quite tired now. Two boxes of assortments had been consumed within those hours.

"I don't think she will give up and returns to Gryffindor Tower." Potter threw his upper body on the bed.

"Well…you can…" Draco bit his bottom lip, looked hesitated.

"If…that's all right with you, can I…" Potter sat up.

"Y-yeah…" Draco stood up from the bed, "Uh, I'm tired. I think I'm going to bed now."

Draco took his pyjamas and walked to bedroom to change and brush his teeth.

"Good night, Potter." Draco slipped beneath the cover and turned to his side, facing the wall. Didn't bother to close his curtain manually.

"Night, Malfoy." Potter bid softly. He took off his shoes and put his spectacles and Draco's scarf beside the pillow, and then slipped into the cover.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Draco awakened in the middle of the night and whimpering in pain. His left forearm felt as if it was being burnt by the Fiendfyre flame. It hurt too much that Draco couldn't hold the pain. He bolted up and screamed in his bed.

"Malfoy what is it? Are you all right? Malfoy?" Potter was suddenly by his side. His confused and worried face checked Draco from head to toe. Draco kept writhing in pain. His hand holding tightly his left wrist, tears slipped from the corner of his eyes. This time the pain on his arm increased tenfold. "Your arm? What's wrong with it?" Potter took Draco's left arm. He forcefully rolled up Draco's left sleeve and gasped as he saw what was beneath the silky pyjama. The color of the Death Eater mark's scar on Draco's forearm was glaring in angry crimson.

"It hurt!" Draco managed to say with his clenched jaw.

"We should go to Madam Pomfrey! Come on!" Potter tried to pull Draco out of the bed.

"No!" Draco jerked his right arm free from Potter.

Right at that time, the pain suddenly scourging the burning skin and the extreme pain brought Draco into blackness.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Draco felt something heavy on his thigh and he felt something was squeezing his right arm.

His arm!

Draco opened his eyes and jolted up. The sudden movement was paused mid air when Draco noticed something beside him. The blond turned his head to his right side. Harry Potter was lying on his bed, sleeping. The Gryffindor's hand was gripping Draco's right arm tight and his leg was thrown to Draco's thigh.

Draco blinked.

The Slytherin boy blinked twice.

The blond blinked for the third time.

"Um, P-Potter?"

Potter squeezed Draco's arm.

"Uh…" For the first time, Draco Malfoy didn't know what to say. Draco tried to process what had happened before he sle—Oh, his arm! Draco snapped his head to see his left forearm and choked by his own breath as he saw it. "Great Merlin! What happened with my arm?" Draco cried.

"W-wha—" Potter awakened by Draco's voice.

"Merlin! Potter! What happened with my arm?!" Draco looked at Potter.

"Oh! That! Merlin, Malfoy! I thought Voldemort came back to live! I-it— your arm—you—bloody hell you scared me to death, Malfoy!" Potter sat straight on the bed.

"What? What happened?" Draco paled.

"You—the scar! As you blacked out, the scar turned into ugly black smoke and then it vanished in the air!" Potter took Draco's left arm and staring at it.

"What…" Draco's head was blank, couldn't process what the dark hair boy had said.

"Look!" Potter showed Draco his left arm. His flawless smooth left forearm. Without the scar of Death Eater mark.

Draco's jaw opened. Potter chuckled. Soon the chuckled turned into laugh.

Draco blinked, turned his head to Potter then to his arm then to Potter again and the act went on and on.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

**VI. FORBEAR**

"What happened actually, Malfoy?" Potter was staring at Draco's arm. They were now sat on Draco's bed facing each other.

"Some Unicorn blood splattered on my arm few days ago." Draco explained.

"Unicorn…blood?" Potter narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, please, Potter. I didn't kill the white horse, if that's what you are thinking." Draco rolled his eyes. "I was in the forest on Tuesday. And then I saw the Unicorn. A branch jabbed into its leg. So, I helped a bit and when I pulled out the branch, the blood poured to my arm."

"So, you mean the Unicorn blood did this? Why reacted now?" Potter furrowed, trying to understand.

"It's been hurt as hell since Tuesday. And then last night was the climax." Draco stared at his arm.

"How deep were you in the forest?" Potter asked.

"Not very far from the edge of forest. Maybe the Unicorn got lost or didn't realise it had strayed out from the inner forest." Draco furrowed.

They both lost in thought.

"Potter, did you sleep on my bed?" Draco looked down at the dark hair boy.

"Er…guess I fell asleep when I waited for you to wake…Ah! What time is it now?" Potter jumped out of Draco's bed and took his wand from beneath another bed's pillow.

"Malfoy, it's seven! We better hurry! I'll get a shower in my room and I'll come here again, okay." Potter dashed out of the room.

Draco did as Potter said. Took a quick shower and then dressed warm for the trip. He was thinking whether he should tell his father about his arm or not. A Unicorn was involved here. He should be careful with this information.

A knock on his door brought him to awareness. He opened the door and saw Potter fidgeting on his feet.

"Come in, Potter." Draco opened the door wider.

"Um, do you wanna take breakfast first?" Potter walked inside the room and stood.

"I think it's too cold to walk to the Great Hall for breakfast." Draco gestured Potter to sit on the bed. The bless box was settled in the middle of the bed.

"Oh, I can get use to this." Potter hopped to the bed with a big smile on his face.

"And my parents will notice I don't take meals at Great Hall too often. Bad news. They can tell our house elf to not provide me food again." Draco pulled out a plate of sandwiches.

"No!" Potter made a horror face.

That made Draco burst out laughing.

As they finished their breakfast, Draco put on his warmest outer. He eyed Potter took his spectacles beside the pillow he used to sleep last night.

"I thought you said to prepare with the warmest outfit for today. Why you only wear…is that jean jacket, Potter?" Draco narrowed his eyes. He walked approaching Potter.

"Yes." Potter shrugged.

Draco exhaled a big sigh. He grabbed his green cashmere scarf from the bed and draped it to Potter's neck. On second thought, Draco wrapped his scarf to Potter's neck.

"There. At least your neck won't get cold." Draco nodded.

"T-thanks." Potter blushed. He grabbed the scarf and buried his nose onto it, inhaled. "You smell vanilla."

Potter froze and Draco startled by the words.

"Uh, shall we go then?" Draco took the pouch from his trunk and slipped it save to his pocket.

"Uh, yeah. Let's." Potter started to walk.

The both of them walked out from the west wing toward the forest.

"Potter, we're heading to the forest." Draco stated.

"Yes." Potter stopped. "Right, I forgot. I don't know if this will work for you, but just trust me okay?"

"Potter, that sounds suspicious." Draco furrowed.

"Let's hurry. It can take a lot of time." Potter continued his walk.

oOo

They arrived in the forest on a clearing where a group of Hogwarts' beasty magical creature were lying around. Draco gasped when he saw the beasts. They were the one Draco met the day he saved the Unicorn. That creepy skeletal horse-like beast.

"You can see them?!" Potter sounded surprised.

"What do you mean can I see them? Of course I can see them! You don't have to use spectacles to see the…the that, are you?" Draco said, agitated by the question.

"Well, don't you know what are they?" Potter asked back.

"Uh…Hagrid never showed it to us before…" Draco sounded unsure.

"Yeah, 'cause he doubt everyone would be able to see them. Hagrid showed it to the Fifth year class last Tuesday. Though, turned out there weren't any who were able to see them. They are Thestrals. Only they who have witnessed death able to see them." Potter explained.

"Oh." Now Draco understood.

Potter walked to the centre of the clearing where the largest Thestral stood high.

"Come on, they are harmless." Potter waited for Draco beside the Thestral.

Draco approached timidly. He stopped when the beast's white eyes directed at him. Draco swallowed. The Thestral tilted his head when he saw Draco. And then it moved forward. When the beast arrived at the spot where frozen Draco stood, it patted Draco's blond head with its jaw.

"P-Potter!" Draco didn't dare to move.

"Hm? What is it, Tenebrus?" Potter stroked the beast's bat-wing.

"Tenebrus?" Draco kept his eyes on the beast.

"Oh, this is Tenebrus. The best trained Thestral in the Great Britain!" Potter proclaimed proudly. "Come on, we're gonna ride it."

"WHAT?!" Draco shrieked.

"We're gonna ride this Thestral to reach the place where we'll fix your mother's wand." Potter then spoke something to the Thestral's and then he climbed up. "Come on, Malfoy."

"I-I'm not riding that thing!" Draco refused, "Why not fly with broomstick? O-or Apparatition?"

"He's faster than broomstick, and I can't take any chance of being tracked by taking Apparition." Potter said patiently. "So, hurry up, Malfoy. We're gonna take a long journey."

"How long?" Draco stepped backward.

"Oh, don't worry. Thestral is fast. I've rode once to the Ministry Department in no time. Up!" Potter waved his hand toward Draco.

The Thestral nudged Draco and in one motion Draco climbed up and straddled the beast behind Potter, afraid of the beast's pointed beak.

"You better hold me tight, Malfoy. That if you don't want to fall from above in the air." Potter laughed when Draco clutched on Potter as if his life depended on it.

And in one count, they flew up in the cold air, faster than Firebolt.

oOo

Draco had to close his eyes. The high speed caused the wind to deafen his ears and forced him to close his eyes. Draco tightened his arms around Potter's waist as it was pretty difficult to keep balance on the beast's slick back. He couldn't see where they were flying to.

After countless time, because Draco couldn't presume the time—the speed caused him to lose his sense of time, Draco felt the speed decreased sharp and then he felt a landing. As Draco opened his eyes, the landscape before his eyes was one he never saw before. They were in rocky mountains. High mountains. All veiled in the pureness of white snow. And it was freezing cold!

"Freezing hell! Potter, where are we?" Draco unconsciously stuck his body from head to shoes against Potter, seeking warmth. His heart was beating fast; must be because of the highness.

"This is where we're gonna fix your mother's wand. Now, get down and start searching the cave." Potter climbed off the Thestral and told the beast to wait.

"What cave?" Draco followed climbed off of the Thestral.

"The cave wh—" Potter scratched his head, "The cave. Hidden behind the snow. Somewhere in this mountain."

"How am I suppose to find it if it's covered with thick snow, Potter?" Draco crossed his arms.

"Er…I haven't thought about that…" Potter said sheepishly, now scratching his neck. Draco sighed hard. What to be expected from the conqueror of Dark Lord, he mumbled in his mind. "Well, it was supposed to be hidden and unable to be found easily!" Potter replied Draco's sigh.

"Are we still in Scotland?" Draco asked as they started to search in blind, with Potter did little explosion and melting spells to the snow mounds here and there.

"Um…yep." Potter kept walking.

"Potter, you don't sound convincing." Draco stomped the snow. He started to get tired walking.

They've been walking without a stop for almost three hours now.

"Seriously, Potter, why are we doing this? Is what we are searching for a wizard's place?" Draco started to feel numb. "This is ridiculous! How could you don't know where the—"

The place they were searching for was revealed right before their eyes.

"There is the cave! Come on!" Potter ran inside the dark cave. Draco followed behind, entering the damp and now dim cave. Potter had casted _Lumos_ to his wand. The cave wasn't so deep, but it was narrow. They both had to duck their heads.

oOo

"Malfoy, can you hold my wand for a moment?" Potter stopped on the cave's stony wall. Draco took the shining wand, watching Potter slipped his hand to a small but wide crack on the stone wall. A moment later Potter's hand reappeared and was now holding a wand.

"A wand?" Draco furrowed in confusion, "Whose wand is that?"

Potter didn't say anything about it. Instead he asked for Draco's mother's wand. Draco handed Potter his wand back and he pulled out the wand from his pocket and gave it to Potter.

"Put it down." Potter told the blond. Draco put his mother's wand down the ground. Then Potter pointed the other wand to it. "_Reparo_."

A magical string whirled from the wand's tip and twisting around the broken wand, wrapped the split point and then the broken wand was straightened, repaired. Draco dropped his jaw.

"How can be? What kind of wand is that?" Draco stared at his mother's wand. Looked as well as before it was broken.

"Now try it." Potter told Draco.

Draco swung his mother's wand and heard Potter moaned.

"Warm?" Draco had nonverbally casted a warming charm to Potter.

"Yes." Potter retrieved the wand back into the wall's crack.

"Wait!" Draco held Potter's wrist.

"What?" Potter turned his head to see Draco.

"Why don't you try it to my wand?" Draco looked sharp into Potter's eyes.

"I doubt it can fix it. Your wand's damage is so helpless." Potter said deadpan.

"You wouldn't know until you try it." Draco lifted his eyebrow.

"I'm positive your wand is unrepairable." Potter tried to free his hand from Draco's strong grip.

"Oh I insist you to try." Draco pulled Potter's hand.

"Fine!" And Potter waited until Draco dropped all the three pieces of his broken wand from the pouch to the ground. "_Reparo_."

A magical string once again whirled out from the wand's tip and twisting each of the pieces, trying to unite all pieces into one stick of a wand. The magic string, however, soon dimmed out and gone. Pieces of the wand lay motionlessly on the ground.

"See. Told you." Potter raised his head to see Draco, "Sorry."

Draco stood and stared at the pieces. A minute later he moved his eyes to Potter.

"Let me try it." Draco raised his hand toward Potter.

"What?" Potter surprised, apparently didn't think Draco would be that desperate to try it himself.

"Malfoy, even me, the wand's master couldn't make it fix the wand…" Potter said softly.

"Just, let me try, Potter. Please." Draco stared at Potter's emerald eyes. A Malfoy never said please and Potter knew it. He hoped Potter could see the desperation and would give him a chance to try it.

"All right…" Potter handed the wand to Draco.

Draco took the wand from Potter's hand.

"_Reparo_." Draco pointed the wand to the pieces.

The same thing happened exactly like before. Draco tried again and this time he shouted the spell louder. Same thing happened with no avail. Draco closed his eyes and inhaled deep. He looked at the pieces of his wand and tried the spell he had used for the Vanishing Cabinet.

"_Harmonia Nectere Passus_." The pieces rattled for a few second and then they went still on the ground. Followed nothing. Draco sighed grimly. He stared down at the wand in his grip.

"Potter, you said you're this wand's master. Is this…the Elder Wand?" Draco asked in a low voice.

"Yeah."

"Why did you hide it here? Why didn't you keep and use it?" Draco lifted his head slowly to see Potter.

"Don't want to cause any more trouble for it. It had taken more than enough deaths. Besides, I'm quite content with mine." Potter tipped his wand.

"Then why not destroy it?" Draco asked again.

"I couldn't. I've tried to break it but it wouldn't break. So I hid it here. Somewhere people wouldn't find and think of." Potter shrugged.

"Mind if I try it?" Draco smirked. He needed something to relief his bad mood.

"My pleasure!" Potter bowed dramatically, one arm thrown out to one side, the other tucked in.

Draco straightened his posture and then put his hands on the Elder Wand, ready to snap the wand in two pieces. Or maybe into more pieces.

oOo

Or maybe he shouldn't try to do damage the Elder Wand.

Draco's right hand slipped from the stick. And at the same time, he felt a shock sensation on his left hand.

Potter gasped.

Draco gasped.

The tip of the Elder Wand sparking flames and then his left arm was tugged as if the wand itself pulled Draco's hand. Draco released his grip on the wand and it fell down to the ground. That's not over yet. When the wand hit the ground, precisely three inches from Draco's broken wand, the flame sparkle shot toward the pieces and before Draco and Potter blink, pieces of Draco's wand burnt into ashes.

Potter swallowed hardly. Draco's eyes almost popped out of the lids.

"I think it's mad." Potter whispered.

"Did this happen when you tried to break it?" Draco whispered back and saw Potter shook his head. "Hurry, put it back into the wall!"

Potter lowered his body and grabbed the Elder Wand from the ground, only to have his hand got an electric shock.

"Ouch!" Potter dropped the wand back to the ground.

"What?" Draco took a step backward, trying to make a far space from the angry wand.

"It shocked me!" Potter weaved his hand.

"Can a wand behave by its own will?" Draco kept his eyes on Elder Wand.

Potter tried to touch the wand again but the wand still refused its master's hand. With both hand, Potter forced the wand into his grips. In grimace and quick motion, Potter shoved the wand back to the crack. They heard a rattle sound from the crack and the next second, the cave shook mildly. But in seconds, the shake increased and without a thought, Draco fetched the wand from the crack and the shake stopped. So was the wand stopped the rattling in Draco's hand.

They both staring at each other.

"Why it stops being violent?" Potter asked Draco

"We better take this to someone and ask what to do with it." Draco asked Potter at the same time.

They blinked in unison.

"Ollivander?" Potter suggested.

"Dumbledore?" Draco suggested.

"Dumbledore! He owned it in his lifetime, so I think he knows what happen with this wand." Potter nodded in agreement.

Soon the two of them left the cave and Potter summoned Tenebrus then they left the freezing rocky mountain. The Elder Wand nested peacefully in Draco's pocket.

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**VII. GRANT**

Draco and Potter arrived at the Thestrals' clearing in the forest at noon. As they climbed off of the Thestral, the creature tucked its head on Draco's silver-blond one.

"P-Potter! Why it keeps doing that to me? Get it off of me!" Draco stuttered. He didn't want the same thing involving a hippogriff happened on his third year repeated.

"Dunno. Never saw it like that before. There, Tenebrus, we have to go now." Potter patted the beast but it wouldn't go away. "Uh, I think it likes you."

"What?!" Draco shrilled.

"Relax, Malfoy. It won't bite. Go try ask it yourself." Potter sounded like he enjoyed the scenery; which was upsetting Draco even more.

"Get off of me, Tenebrus!" Draco yelled.

"Ask nicely, Malfoy." Potter said in sing song.

Draco inhaled deep, trying to control his emotion.

"Tenebrus, will you get your head off of me? I need to go to the castle." Draco patted the Thestral's head from below hesitantly.

The Thestral puffed loudly and it lifted its head from Draco.

"Thank you." Draco said and then dashed out toward the caste. He heard Potter laughed in full joy.

oOo

As they arrived at the Great Stair Tower entrance, Draco smacked the back of Potter's head and walked inside.

"Ouch, Malfoy!" Potter ran inside to catch up with the blond.

Draco tidied his messed blond hair. Oh, his precious hair. That Thestral would pay for it!

They took the stairs toward Headmistress McGonagall's office. When they arrived at the gargoyle, Draco and Potter stared to each other.

"Is she even in her office now?" Draco asked Potter.

"Er…is Headmistress McGonagall in her office right now?" Potter asked the gargoyle. The statue opened his eyes and close them again.

"What the.." Draco couldn't believe a statue ignoring them. "Scottish Fold!"

The gargoyle groaned and in dismay it opened the stair toward headmaster's office.

"How did you know the password?" Asked Potter, tilting his head to see Draco.

Draco and Potter stepped on the raising stair that brought them to the office's door.

Potter knocked the door. A moment later it opened itself and the both of them stepped inside. They saw no one there.

"Professor McGonagall?" Potter called out.

A minute later the headmistress walked down stairs from her room and stood on the landing.

"Ah, Potter, Malfoy. Something you need in my assistance?" McGonagall asked.

"Um…can we talk to Professor Dumbledore's portrait? We need to ask him something." Potter asked directly. She studied them first, and then nodded.

"Of course." McGonagall turned her head at the right side and looked at the portrait on the wall. "Albus?"

The former headmaster's portrait was asleep in his armchair. He opened his eyes after McGonagall called him.

oOo

"Harry, my boy. Ah, Draco, too." Dumbledore eyed them from behind his crescent spectacles.

"Very well, young men, I leave you to Professor Dumbledore. I'll be upstairs when you're done." And McGonagall left them.

"Thank you, Professor." Potter smiled at the headmistress.

"So, Harry, how have you been?" Dumbledore's portrait made no movement in his armchair.

Draco and Potter approached the portrait and stood few feet before it.

"I'm fine, Professor. There's something we wanted to ask. It's about the Elder Wand." Potter clenched his hands.

"What about it?" Dumbledore portrait asked.

"It's been acting weird. When I tried to break it, it didn't crack even a bit. And then this morning I used it to repair Mrs. Malfoy's broken wand with it. It worked. And then when Malfoy tried to break the Elder Wand, it went berserk. I got it stings my hand when I held it, and it destroyed Malfoy's broken wand into ashes. It kept shaking then. And then Malfoy took it and it stopped. We don't know what to do with it, Professor. I was afraid it would do violence if I just left it. So, we bring it here." Potter explained long to Dumbledore portrait.

"Let me see." Dumbledore portrait said.

Draco pulled out the wand from his pocket and showed it to Dumbledore portrait.

"Let me see you hold it, Harry." Dumbledore portrait ordered. Potter reached the wand from Draco's hand. The wand stilled on Potter's grip.

"What? It's fine!" Potter furrowed.

"Now cast a simple spell." Dumbledore portrait said.

"_Lumos_." Potter casted and then narrow beam of light shone from the wand's tip.

"Ah! Now, Draco, cast the same spell with the wand." Dumbledore portrait's eyes twinkled. Draco took the wand from Potter and as soon as he gripped it, the light beam shone from its tip.

"W-what? I haven't even spelt the incantation." Draco furrowed, looking at the Elder Wand as if it misbehaved.

"Interesting." Dumbledore portrait straightened his torso.

"But what's that mean, Professor?" Potter voiced Draco's mind question.

"Harry, my boy, would you mind telling this old man how you mastered the wand?" The portrait leant toward Potter. Potter blinked in confusion, but told the portrait anyway.

"After Malfoy disarmed you, I took Malfoy's wand at Malfoy's manor. So the Elder Wand's ownership fell on me. Then Voldemort took it from your grave and he used it to AK me, but the spell counterattacked him and he's dead." Potter explained shortly but accurate.

"And how you disarmed Draco?" The portrait asked.

"Well, I grabbed it from his hand when we tried to escape from the manor." Potter said.

"So Draco was unwillingly handed you his wand." The portrait asked again.

"Yes." Potter answered short.

"Was it, Draco?" The portrait asked Draco.

"Yes." Draco answered sharp.

"Are you positive you were _really_ unwilling to hand Harry your wand, Draco?" The portrait's eyes twinkled.

"Of course! He stole it from my hand." Draco frowned. Suddenly the room felt warm.

"Draco?" The portrait tilted his head slightly.

"W-well, I…intended to lend him my wand just before he took it from me…" Draco blushed visibly.

"Ah!" The portrait leant back against his armchair. "I believe there has been some misunderstanding all along, I see."

"What do you mean, Professor? What's that mean?" Potter looked at between the portrait and Draco.

"It means, Harry, that from the moment Draco disarmed me, he had possessed the mastery of Elder Wand and not once has lost the claim since then." The portrait moved his eyes to Draco.

"What?!" Both boys cried in unison.

"Elder Wand is unique. Unlike common wand, it has its own mind. Sometimes I couldn't understand it. Acted in its own thought. Such naughty wand, don't you think?" Dumbledore portrait chuckled and then returned to his slumber.

"Wait, Professor!" Potter called the portrait but it went to a false sleep once again.

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"I don't want it, Potter! If it will bring me to death!" Draco bored his eyes to the wand grounded to the bed between him and Potter.

"But, what should we do about it, then?" Potter said in agitation.

They were in Draco's room now. Dinner was forgotten. They had went back to the Scottish Highlands to hide the Elder Wand again, this time under Draco's hand, but the wand was once again showing its refusal to be abandoned there. Now, the Deathstick, which the legend said that murder is necessary in order to attain mastery of the wand, looked content in its new master presence.

"Do you think it refused to repair my wand because the wand saw it as its rival? In my ownership of wand, I mean." Draco asked Potter.

"Probably. I believe the Elder Wand could fix your wand if it wanted to." Potter glanced at Draco. It's a powerful wand, after all.

Draco sighed. New trouble. As if his problem with the ministry wasn't enough. Ah, to think of it, he still hadn't touch the Malfoy Apothecary papers. They consumed a lot of time to study. But Draco didn't mind because he liked the apothecary.

"Now what?" Potter asked the blond.

"What do you think?" Draco asked back.

"Use it. Return your mother's wand to her. I'm sure she needs it after all." Potter shrugged.

"Are you kidding me, Potter? How can I come out there and showing to the world that I have Elder Wand in my hand. It's like 'Hey look, I own Elder Wand. So come and kill me and get it!' you daft git!" Draco pressed his fingertip on Potter's forehead. Potter grabbed Draco's wrist and lowered it from his face.

"Conceal it." Potter suggested.

"Conceal…how?" Draco eyed Potter's grip on his wrist.

"Um…" Potter released his grip and put his fingertip on his chin, thinking.

Draco let his hand fell on Potter's lap. For a moment the time went on and they were staring at each other.

Potter's emerald eyes were really beautiful.

Now, where did that thought came from? Draco pinched himself mentally. Slowly, he removed his hand from Potter's lap, brushing the warm legs in process. Draco's hand stopped on the Elder Wand. Draco grabbed it without breaking the eye contact with Potter. He raised the wand and pointed it to his trunk.

"_Accio_ Render Box." Draco said softly. A moment later the trunk opened and the bless box floating toward them and landed on the empty bed between Draco and Potter.

"Oh, so it has a name." Potter jumped his eyes to the box, breaking the eye contact.

"Late dinner, Potter." Draco pulled out a plate of French toast and two glasses of water.

"Thanks." Potter lowered his head and took the toast.

They ate in warm silence.

oOo

"You're good in transfiguration." Potter said suddenly.

"What?" Draco flushed. He was watching the Gryffindor the whole time. He hoped Potter didn't notice.

"You're very advanced in transfiguration. Hermione told me once. So why not trying to make a little change on the wand's appearance?" Potter said before he drank the water.

"I don't want to give it another reason to be violent, Potter." Draco vanished the plate nonverbally and then pulled out a plate of big piece of treacle tart from the box.

Potter gasped. Draco liked that gasp. He put the plate before Potter, eyes gleaming.

"Thank you for fixing my mother's wand." Draco smiled at the blushing boy before him.

"You're welcome." Potter plucked his favorite dessert with the fork and put the big chunk to his mouth. "Mm, so good, Malfoy."

Draco chuckled. He liked making Potter delighted like that.

What was he thinking? Draco slapped himself mentally. He better concentrate on his apple pie on the box.

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"Right then, let's call it a night. I better go back to my room. See you, er, tomorrow?" Potter rose from the bed.

"Yes. Go sleep and snore loud as you like while I work the gears in my head to solve this Elder Wand problem." Draco moved to his own bed and sat on it, legs folded with the wand in his hand.

"I don't snore!" Potter left his room.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the wand he put on the bed before him.

"Shall I use you? I don't know if I'll get a new wand in the future. The possibility is… Shall I really use you?" Draco stared blankly at the wand. Contemplating the bitter chance of having a new wand in the future, Draco took his mother's wand and pointed it to the Elder Wand.

"All right then, if you want to be useful, allow me to change your appearance…a bit." Draco talked to the Elder Wand. He must looked really stupid talking to a wand. Draco breathed deep and closed his eyes. He started to think about his own wand. The shape, the color, the texture. He opened his eyes and whispered a charm.

"_Imito Respiciofors_."

The Elder Wand transfigured its appearance into Draco's former Hawthorn wand shape.

Draco gasped.

"It worked."

He had a new wand.

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**VIII. HUSTLE**

Draco yawned. He opened his eyes and stretched in bed. He stared up then sat up. He reached from beneath his pillow and pulled out a wand. His new wand. Draco stared at it a few minutes. Still couldn't believe that finally, _finally_, he had his very own wand.

"_Tempus_." Draco whispered. He smiled at the time conjured. He wiped his smile from his face as he thought how to explain this to his parents. "Ah! Of course." Draco tck-ed. His parents didn't know that his Hawthorn wand was broken. So all he had to say when he returned his mother's wand was that Potter gave it back to him. Yeah, as simple as that would do.

"Harper." Draco smirked deviously. He prepared himself for today. This was going to be a beautiful Sunday.

So after he changed into his clothes, he put his mother's wand into pocked and walked out to the Great Hall. After breakfast he intended to go to Hogsmeade and from there he would Disapparate to the manor to hand himself his mother's wand to her.

As he arrived at the Great Hall, the big room was in ruckus. He walked toward the Slytherin table and took a sit on his favorite spot. He turned to his left and watched the fifth year girls were talking over an article on the Daily Prophet they were holding.

"Something happens?" Draco asked the fifth years. The girls turned their head toward Draco. Some were gasping and some were blushing.

"T-the ex-Death Eaters. The ex-Death Eaters who were hiding since last year came out last night. The Aurors couldn't catch any of them yet. The Daily Prophet says they were tracked in Hogsmeade and could be wandering to Hogwarts." A blushing fifth year girl said. Her eyes reminded Draco of Greengrass' when she hoped he would take her hand for a dance at the latest pureblood gala. Draco shuddered.

"There have been words, too," Said another girl. She pushed away her friend which was sitting between her and Draco, "that they were looking for revenge to the traitors."

_Father!_

oOo

Draco hoped the ex-Death Eaters weren't making their way toward the manor. What if they planned to attack his parents? He still had his mother's wand on him! Forgetting the breakfast, Draco dashed out to the Hogwarts gates. But, wait. If the ex-Death Eaters were invading Hogsmeade, the gate must be closed and guarded and he wouldn't be able to Disapparate to manor.

"Tenebrus!"

Draco ran toward the forest as quick as he could before the headmistress ordered Filch to close all entrance doors and seal Hogwarts.

When Draco arrived at the Thestral clearing, he didn't see Tenebrus. Only young and smaller Thestrals that were lying on the ground and playing with snow. He didn't know if the smaller Thestral available for a ride or even trained well like Tenebrus.

"Tenebrus!" Draco called out. He looked around but none of the creature could be seen. He called several times, almost in despair when he saw movement from the inner forest and then Tenebrus showed up. "Tenebrus! I need you to take me to Malfoy Manor. Can you?" Draco walked one step closer toward the Thestral.

The magical creature spread its big bat wings and then lowered itself. Draco took it as cue to climb up the Thestral. The Thestral rose up and Draco almost lost his balance. The skin of the Thestral was bit slippery. He understood now why Potter had to hold its mane when they rode it yesterday. When the Thestral was about to flap its wings, Draco heard someone shouted. He looked forward and saw a dark haired boy ran toward him.

"Malfoy! Wait!" Potter tapped Tenebrus as he arrived.

"What, Potter! Don't try and stop me. I don't care if you tell McGonagall, I'm still leaving. The ex-Death Eaters probably are on their way to the manor right now. So go away and let me leave. Go, Tenebrus!" Draco cried.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Potter patted the Thestral and it lowered down to let Potter climb behind Draco.

"What the hell, Potter?!" Draco tried to push the Gryffindor away but he held his hand.

"Just go! Hurry, before the headmistress put on the shelter!" Potter encircled his arms around Draco's waist.

Thinking of losing the chance to fly off of the Hogwarts, Draco signalised the Thestral to fly. In a second, the beast kicked off the ground and diligently carried them to the manor way.

On the way to the Wiltshire where the Malfoy Manor was grounded, Draco's mind was split between his parents and Potter. The manor's ward was strong enough to be cracked by the Dark Lord in the past. So there's a secure guarantee that his parents would be safe in the manor. But Potter, Draco didn't know what to think about this boy. What was his intention coming to help him. Another hero-complex act? Another show off to the Wizarding World? Proving that they still need him? What?

oOo

The time went by fast in the freezing air and finally they landed before the manor's gates. Draco jumped off from the beast and he ran toward the gates. He stopped two feet from the gate and closes his eyes. He reached forward and felt the ward vibrating, telling him that the manor had visitors. Draco snapped open his eyes.

"They're here!" Draco pulled out his mother's wand and ran into the wide driveway. He stopped and turned back when he heard Potter's yell.

"Malfoy, I can't go in! The gate didn't let me!" Potter stood before the wrought-iron gates.

Draco astonished by it. The ward was working as it was supposed to. Either there were no intruders, or the broken ward had been restored itself or by his parents. If the case was the ward restored itself, it meant the intruders had been at the manor for quite long time, enough time for the ward to reform again. Draco then invited Potter in, letting the ward knew that Potter was an approved guest, and then he dashed toward the manor.

Soon as they arrived at the entrance hall, Draco's stomach dropped. There was a lot of nasty hexes evidence around. They heard yells from the centre.

"The Drawing room!" Draco ran to the source of the cry. Potter followed behind.

What they saw when they stepped on the wide room made Draco angry. His mother and a house elf were petrified, fell on the floor, and his father was being _Crucio_ed. Before the ex-Death Eaters awakened from their surprise by their appearance, Draco disarmed the dark wizard who was casting the unforgivable curse to his father. Potter did the same to the other two dark wizards.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Draco stunned the three dark wizards. "Father, you all right?"

"Well well well…" A male voice came from a shadow.

Draco turned to his mother's direction. A wizard with Auror robe wrapped around his body. The Auror pointed his wand to Draco's mother.

"Finally, young Malfoy. We've been waiting for you. Didn't expect this soon however. Tch, pity, the fun should end quickly." The Auror gave Lucius Malfoy a distaste look.

"Who are you?" Draco pointed his wand to the Auror.

"Now now, behave young Malfoy." The Auror swung his wand above Draco's mother. "Doesn't matter who I am. What important is that you're here. Now we can start the ritual." Then the Auror freed the three petrified dark wizards. One of the dark wizards snatched their wands from Draco and Potter and took the boys' wands too.

"What do you want?" Draco seethed.

"What we want, young Malfoy," The Auror came near, "Is you."

"W-what?" Draco looked at the four wizards.

"It's time!" One dark wizard raised his arms up.

"Yes, it's time. We've been doing some research and been prepared for this." Another dark wizard showing a hostile face. "To once again, resurrect the Dark Lord!"

"What! You're mad!" Potter yelled.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. What a pleasure to have you here." The Auror wrinkled his nose.

"What is that all to do with me?" Draco pulled the attention toward him again. Trust Potter not to cause a scene in the wrong moment.

"Why, young Malfoy, of course we need you for the ritual to work. We need the chosen one to be host for the Dark Lord's soul." The Auror moved his wand toward Lucius.

"Stay away from him!" Lucius tried to stand up.

"What chosen one?" Draco asked the Auror.

"Ah, did the Dark Lord not tell you? He had planned to make you his apprentice. Such talented wizard you are, could be powerful if you want to work out your magic. What a shame, wasting your potency, Draco. Not good for the Dark Lord when he possess you later." The Auror eyed Draco.

"No. there must be a mistake. I—" Draco's sentence was cut by the other dark wizard.

"Enough! Don't waste the time. Let's get him to the place and do the ritual." The dark wizard nudged the tip of his wand on Draco.

oOo

The dark wizard with his wand on Draco grabbed him and then the four intruders began to Apparate, with Draco to side-along. But they couldn't Apparate because of the manor's ward.

"Tch, what a troublesome. Malfoy, drop the ward!" The Auror ordered Lucius.

"Let go!" Draco tried to free his arm from the dark wizard's grip. At that moment, the spell bound the petrified house-elf broke, overridden by the elf's magic.

"Mister is not taking Master Draco without his willing!" Tippy cried and then threw the dark wizard who captured Draco to the floor. Draco took that moment to pull out his Elder Wand from his pocket and disarmed all four intruders. Potter took his wand from Draco's hand and casted _Incarcerous_ to the four wizards, binding them with the magical rope.

"What the hell! You!" The Auror pointed at Tippy, "You disobey your master's order to stay still! Lucius, you can't even teach your house-elf to obey you? You really a disgrace to Death Eaters!"

"Tippy is free elf. Her loyalty is to Master Draco Malfoy!" The house elf nodded and fisting her hands. Then Draco saw Potter casted a _Patronus_ to send message to Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic. Draco stopped Potter before the _Patronus_ fly off.

"Potter, wait! Don't be so hasty! One of them is Auror. What made you think that if the minister sends Aurors here, there won't be other Death Eaters among them?" Draco hissed. He walked toward his father and handed his wand back to him. He then released his mother from the spell and handed his mother her wand.

"Oh, Draco dear." Her mother hugged him.

"Are you all right, mother?" Draco hugged back.

"I'm fine, Draco." His mother then walked to her husband. "Lucius?"

"I'm fine." Lucius put his arm around his wife's waist.

Draco walked back toward the Auror and pulled the Auror's left sleeve.

"What?" Draco saw no Death Eater mark scar on the arm.

"Think the Dark Lord would be that stupid to mark his spy on Ministry, Draco?" The Auror said in angst.

"Father, how did they come in?" Draco asked his father.

"They came with the Auror brought legal letter from ministry, so I must let them in." Draco's father eyed every one of the Dark Eaters. "I believe it fell on the entrance hall."

"Potter, we'll bring them to the ministry." Draco told Potter, and then ordered Tippy to fetch the letter.

"Okay." Potter replied, eyes glued on the ex-Death Eaters.

"Here is the letter, Master Draco. Is master Draco needs anything else from Tippy?" The house-elf goggled at Draco.

"No." Draco grabbed the letter and walked to his parents. "Mother, father, I'll send them to the ministry with Potter. Snippy!"

A house-elf appeared with a loud crack.

"If anyone tries to cause harm to Master Lucius and Master Narcissa, you help Master Lucius and Master Narcissa to stop them." Draco commanded the house elf.

"Yes, Master Malfoy, Sir." Snippy grumbled.

"And Tippy, please come to Hogwarts and inform me if there are other ex-Dark Eaters attacking the manor again." Draco asked his house-elf.

"Tippy will do, Master Draco, yes!" The elf nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh Draco, I'm sure we will be all right. I have my wand now." Her mother held his arm. "Will you be back here before return to Hogwarts?"

"I'm afraid I can't, mother." Draco glanced at Potter.

"Um, maybe we still have time before we have to return to Hogwarts…" Potter bit his bottom lip.

Draco stared at Potter, considering the idea. Though he wanted it so much to stay at the manor a little longer, but Draco's logic won over it.

"No. Better not worry the headmistress. They probably know we're not in Hogwarts. We should go back soon after we handed these rats to the ministry." Draco looked back to his mother.

"Oh, that's all right, dear. You better go now, then." Narcissa gave Draco a motherly hug. "And thank you, Mr. Potter."

"Uh, yes." Potter grabbed two Dark Eaters. Draco followed grabbing the other two for side-along Apparition.

"Oh, one more thing, Draco. Try not to vanish too much manor's plates and glasses. They're my favorite." Narcissa smiled at her son.

"Yes, mother." Draco blushed.

Draco, Potter and the Death Eaters Disapparated to the Ministry of Magic.

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**IX. INTIMATION**

They Apparated back outside Malfoy manor to ride Tenebrus and flied back to Hogwarts forest. Thankfully the Hogwarts' ward acknowledged them so they could land on the forest. They arrived at the Hogwarts entrance hall that noon. The four ex-Death Eaters had been handled by Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the ministry had collected all Aurors to interrogate before they were sent back to catch other ex-Death Eaters.

Draco and Potter were welcomed at the entrance hall by the headmistress.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, I hope you have a good explanation for this." The headmistress stepped on the stairs toward her office, followed by the two boys.

"Harry! Where have you been? You were gone! Are you all right?" Granger ran toward Potter.

"I'm fine Hermione. Tell you later." Potter nodded and continued the walk.

oOo

"Now, gentlemen, you know Death Eaters are out there. I didn't allow any students to leave Hogwarts this morning. How will you explain yourselves?" McGonagall sat on her chair before the standing Draco and Potter.

"I believe the minister has sent you his words about it." Draco lifted his chin. He didn't want to explain it for the second time to the headmistress.

McGonagall sighed.

"Malfoy, I understand your concern over your parents' safety. But your safety is also my concern as your headmistress. You should have informed me before you make decision to leave Hogwarts without my knowledge. And you too, Potter." McGonagall looked at them behind her spectacles.

"Yes, Professor." Draco looked straight back at her.

"Sorry, Professor." Potter bowed his head.

"There will be no next time for this, understood? Now get back to your chambers." McGonagall shook her head. "Oh, Malfoy," Draco turned back to look at the headmistress. "Do you have your own wand now?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, Professor." Draco swallowed. Did she know?

"Very good, then." McGonagall nodded and Draco and Potter walked out of the headmistress' office.

When they arrived at the outside of their chambers, Draco stopped Potter.

"Potter. Thanks for the help." Draco opened the doors, "Though, you're not helping at all."

"Hey!" Potter followed behind, entering the common room with flushed face.

Draco walked straight to his room, leaving pouting Potter to his friends in the common room.

As soon as he arrived at his room that noon, Draco wrote to his parents about his wand and other things.

oOo

At dinner time that night, Draco got a letter from his parents, updated him about the captured ex-Dark Eaters. Draco still felt uneasy with all this. But he ensured himself that her mother had her wand and he had ordered the manor's house-elf to paid attention on his parents' safety. Draco looked up from his letter and saw Potter was talking something to Granger. The bushy haired girl looked at him oddly.

"What the bloody Potter told her?" Draco stared at Potter trying to make eye contact. The dark hair finally glanced at him and raised his eyebrow. Draco kept staring at him, as if accusing the other boy by his stare.

And then Draco gasped.

He never realized it until now.

From the beginning of their Hogwarts year, all this time, he and Potter had always been sitting facing each other in the Great Hall. It was purely innocent act, because he never noticed it nor intended to do it before. Did Potter noticed about this, too? Then Draco had a second realization. Whole this time, in his Hogwarts years, never had in his mind even a second free from Harry Potter. He had always compared anything with Potter. He had always thought what Potter would do if. What would Potter think if Draco did something?

Salazar! Harry Potter was on Draco's mind constantly.

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Last night Draco couldn't talk to Potter, to demand what had the boy told to his friends. But this morning, he must get Potter. So right at seven thirty Draco sat in the common room, waiting for Potter.

Fifteen minutes later Potter and his two friends appeared on the common room.

"Potter, I want a word with you." Draco stood up.

"Uh…" Potter glanced at his two friends, "Okay."

"We'll see you at the Great Hall, Harry." Granger said and she and her boyfriend Weasel left the common room.

"So, what is it?" Potter lifted his spectacles.

"Potter, I don't understand why you didn't correct your eyesight. Those spectacles are so annoying!" Draco eyed the round spectacles in distaste.

"What? I can fix my eyesight?!" Potter's eyes widened, mouth wide opened.

"Potter, I don't know how you could manage to live as a wizard. We live in the world of magic. In case you didn't aware, magic can fix anything, including your eyesight."

"Er…I like it like this better." Potter looked at everywhere but Draco.

"Your stupid choice. Anyway, what did you tell your friends last night about me?" Draco stepped closer.

"Nothing. Just said ex-Death Eaters attacked the manor. That's all." Potter averted his eyes. "And, er, a bit about the house-elves."

"And what did you tell them about the house-elves?" Draco stood before Potter a foot apart now.

"Um, one called you Master Malfoy and, um, you have a free house-elf." Potter stuttered all of a sudden. "W-why did he call you Master Malfoy and not Master Draco?"

Why did Potter stutter all of a sudden? Was he hiding something? Suspicious.

"I'm the head of the Malfoy now, Potter." Draco glued his eyes on Potter's.

"Oh. And what about the free elf?" Potter swallowed hard, Draco noticed. Hm, he wondered why.

"I set her free when I was seven." Draco raise his eyebrows, watching the Gryffindor acting discomfort.

"Why?" Potter looked up at Draco, looked curious.

"She was very annoying. Always popped up loudly in my potions lab. She made me ruin the brewing so I tricked her to have my gloves." Draco stared at the emerald eyes intently.

"Wh—" Potter cleared his throat, "So why she's still at the manor?"

"She refused to leave. Kept banging her head on my potions cabinet, broke some rare ingredient jars. Before she caused any more damage, I allowed her to stay at the manor and serve me." Draco left the part where his father punished him because of that and he didn't get ingredient supply for a month.

Potter didn't make a comment, because they were now only inches apart from each other's face. The Gryffindor looked having trouble breathing. Draco looked down at the dark hair boy, and Potter looked up at the blond. Draco remembered that he had something else to say to Potter but he couldn't think straight at the moment to recall what it was. For a second, Draco questioned himself what was he doing right now, but the question was forgotten the next second. All his attention was on the emerald eyes he was staring at. Having a chance to see it that close, Draco admitted to himself how beautiful those eyes were. Though, they were only green rings around the dilating pupils right now. So green, like his favorite color. So Slytherin.

"Breakfast!" Potter broke the eye contact. He dashed out of the common room.

Draco followed behind; still confusing what on Merlin's name was he doing just now.

oOo

Walking toward a breakfast today should be enjoyable because he had a wand for today's Transfiguration class. But Draco frowned. Along the way to his table, all students in the Great Hall were staring at him. Some were whispering while following his steps. Then he saw a Daily Prophet on the Slytherin table. He read the article's title in the front page.

EX-DEATH EATERS SEEK THE DARK LORD'S PRENTICE:  
DRACO MALFOY

"Bloody hell!" Draco turned his head toward the Gryffindor table and his eyes met Potter's. He walked back fast toward the door.

"Mr. Malfoy, hold your step!" McGonagall called him from the staff's table. Draco turned to see the headmistress walked toward him. "Follow me, Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall walked out of the Great Hall, followed Draco behind. When they were outside the Great Hall, the headmistress stopped and turned to talk to Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy, I didn't expect the Daily Prophet would have the detailed information and wrote down about you. But I had talked and assured all professors and students before you came in that you are unacquainted with it and that you are abide with the light." Said McGonagall, "And for your safety, Malfoy, from now on you are not allowed to leave Hogwarts at least until all the remain ex-Death Eaters captured."

"Yes, professor." Draco said emotionlessly.

"All right. Have your breakfast, Malfoy." McGonagall returned to the Great Hall.

Draco saw Potter stood near the hall's doors, just staring at him. Holding himself, Draco returned to the Great Hall and Potter dutifully accompanied him on the breakfast table.

Without even Potter said anything, or Draco approved, the dark hair boy was on his side the whole day.

oOo

There was nothing Draco couldn't handle that day. Most of the students were making a distance with him when he walked along the hallways and corridors. Only few stupid mockeries from some sixth and seventh years, and a tripping jinx from Harper before Transfiguration. Draco managed to block his hex nonverbally and looked at the seventh year Slytherin in contempt. A sentence from Potter after that brought a little mood to Draco.

"Oh, did you see his gobsmacked face when he saw your wand?" Potter giggled into Draco's ear as they took the same desk. Draco flushed. Not because of anger, but because Potter talked too close to his ear. Draco almost shivered.

When they came back to their common room after today's classes, Draco saw Ginny Weasley was sitting on the couch.

"Harry." Weaselette greeted Potter.

Draco glanced at Potter, waited until Potter glanced back at him and then Draco walked toward his room.

Draco threw his bag and robe to the desk and then lay down on the unoccupied bed aside. His mind was wondering from the Daily Prophet to Potter. Today's events with Potter were a big confusion to Draco. He thought about his attraction toward the dark hair in the past seven years studiously.

Potter was his rival, check. Potter was his…enemy? Okay, check on that because of his father. Potter was insufferable git, check. Potter was stupid, check. Potter was natural charming, check. Potter had beautiful eyes, check. Potter with his rosy cheeks and red lips. Potter with his after-shag messy dark hair. Potter WAIT A MINUTE!

"Bloody hell was I thinking?!" Draco sat up abruptly from the bed. "I better take a bath!"

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Since it was afternoon, Draco enjoyed the time with a thorough body cleansing.

Draco bored. He was really bored! There was nothing more he could do. He had finished all his potions and alchemy books. He started to get tired of keep hiding in his room. Flying was out of the list. He wasn't on the Quidditch team. Therefore, no broom access for him. Should he study the Malfoy Apothecary papers then? Draco casted _Tempus_. It's dinner time. He was so lazy to face everyone tonight. Guess dinner with another box of sweets was on the card then. He sighed and took a box of Rosewater-flavored Turkish Delight. Oh, Potter liked it. The dark hair boy often chose it over other assortments.

When Draco finished his box, he unwillingly took out the apothecary papers and started to read them for two hours. A knock on the door took off his focus on the papers. He stood up and opened it but found no one.

"What?" And then Draco felt a push on his body. Next, the door shut. Draco thought it was Peeves, so he called out the poltergeist. But when he turned his body, he choked by an appearance of Harry Potter in his room. "Potter!"

Potter casted a silencing spell on the door. Then the Gryffindor threw himself and his bag to the unoccupied bed, like he owned the room. Or the bed. Draco thought his jaw dropped, so he managed quickly to school his face.

"Potter, exactly what are you doing here?" Draco eyed the other boy balled the invisibility Cloak and shoved it into his bag. "And bringing your bag."

"Er, need some peace." Potter gazed at Draco and blinked.

"And what happen with your room?" Draco gave the dark hair boy a withering look.

"Er…Ginny's there…" Potter blinked rapidly.

"Never expect more from you, Potter." Draco spatted, understood well that Potter was avoiding the Weaselette. Again. "Can't handle a girl, are you, Potter." Draco returned to the papers on the desk.

"I didn't! I just don't want to make some…argument with her. She- she's Ron's sister." Potter added softly, "Her family been nice to me."

"That's not called nice if they want something from you, Potter." Draco continued his reading on the papers.

"What do you mean? They never wanted anything from me." Potter sat up on the bed.

"Expecting you will stand on the aisle and take their daughter's hand to me seems like a demand more than a simple wish, Potter." Draco tilted his head to Potter.

Potter replied Draco's words with a rustle of parchment. Draco looked to his right and saw Potter was preparing a parchment and a quill.

"I can't believe it! Don't tell me that's your potions essay parchment, Potter!" Draco stared at the parchment laid on the bed in disbelieve.

"Er…it…is…" Potter glanced at Draco from the corner of his eyes.

"How come you haven't—Merlin!" Draco opened his eyes so wide they hurt. "You haven't started it yet? Potter, the work was given last week. Seven days ago!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Potter blushed and started to write. Draco shook his head. He took the papers and stood up.

"Take the desk, Potter." Draco walked toward his own bed and continued reading the papers.

oOo

The sound of the scratch of quill on a parchment was so alluring on Draco's ears. He didn't realise that sometime later he fell asleep by it. Draco opened his eyes some hours later, possibly in the middle of the night. He must fell asleep when he read the boring papers. He thought the sitting position against the wall was tiring his body that he woken up. But as his awareness fully on set, he realised that it wasn't the cause of his wake. It was a cry in his room. Then he remembered Potter. Draco grabbed his wand and lightened the room. What he saw and heard before him broke his heart.

Potter was trashing wildly in his sleep, crying. Between the sobs and moans, the boy gasped some vague words that sounded like "no," "don't," and "leave." Potter was having a nightmare. Draco rose up and approaching the boy in panic. What should he do? His mother would wake him and hugged him when he had a nightmare. She would comfort him until he calmed down and back to sleep. Should he do the same to Potter? A heart wrenching shout from the dark hair boy made the decision for Draco of what to do.

As Draco threw himself toward Potter, the dark hair boy bolted up and gripped Draco's arms tightly that it could cut his veins. Potter was looking at Draco's eyes with his wide eyes. Breaths short and fast, his heart was soundly beating at rapid tempo.

"It's all right. You were dreaming, Potter. You're awake now. It's all right." Draco put his hands on Potter's body. The boy was trembling.

Potter was still looking into Draco's eyes with his frightened ones. Draco wasn't sure if the boy was fully conscious and aware that he had awake, or was his mind still lingered in the nightmare. Oh, bugger the animosity, Draco pulled the trembling boy into his embrace. Instantly Potter encircled Draco's neck and buried his face deeply into it, still sobbing with his labored breath.

"It's all right. You're awake now." Draco held the boy, trying to comfort him. He didn't tell Potter that it's just a dream anymore, because Draco knew it wasn't. From the boy's state, the nightmare seemed more like a memory, or reflection of the loneliness that was Harry Potter. More than minutes flowed with Potter trembling in Draco's arms. The dark hair boy seemed calmed down now. Draco tried to release his hold on the boy but Potter tightened his hold on Draco.

"Don't leave. Please. Just…" Potter whispered into Draco's neck. The pleading voice was so broken and heart-clenching. It made Draco extremely uncomfortable, he was watery-eyed.

"I won't leave you. Please, stop crying." Draco stroked the boy's back. He laid the boy in bed and positioned himself beside Potter, still holding him in his arms. One of Draco's hand caressed Potter's damp hair. He kept caressing the boy who was burying his head beneath Draco's chin until he felt Potter's breath slowed down.

Did Potter have nightmares every night? Draco let himself sleep embracing Potter.

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**X. JUXTAPOSE**

Draco awakened by something tickling his neck. His eyes snapped open when he felt something nuzzling against his chest. His whole body was warmer than usual. He looked down and had messy dark hair on his nose. Draco smiled and buried his nose into the hair. It smelt apple and fresh meadow.

Draco felt his stomach flipped. He was in panic and terror.

Bloody hell! He had Harry Potter in his arms! In bed!

Draco was about to freed himself from Potter when he felt the said boy stretched against his body and yawned. The arms encircling Draco's body was tightened. A second later, the boy went still. Draco counted until eleven before the Potter raised his head up, very slowly. And then their eyes met.

Both boys swallowed hard, almost audibly. Since the boys were too shocked by the revelation of their current state, none of them dared to move nor took their eyes off of the other's.

Without any cue, in unison they released from each other. Draco heard Potter casted _Tempus_ and he glanced to see the time.

"Bloody hell!" Draco and Potter cried in unison.

It was ten minutes before nine and to their first class on Tuesday. Draco had never woke up this late before! In the fastest record of Hogwarts, Draco casted cleaning and refreshing spells on him and dressed, grabbed his bag and ran toward the Advanced Potions class in the dungeon. Meanwhile Potter dashed out of his room to do the same.

They both arrived ten minutes late and graciously Professor Slughorn allowed them to enter the class.

The whole day, Draco and Potter tried hard not to see each other. Everyone who saw them would think that they were having cold war. Ignoring each other, just like the old days. Only the both of Draco and Potter knew the real reason they were avoiding each other was none other than the awkwardness they felt involving this early morning event in a bed.

oOo

Tuesday passed with a successful 'avoid each other' mission. So was Wednesday.

Thursday, however, Draco and Potter had to have an interaction at Care of Magical Creature class. Hagrid had decided to have the class at the forest. In the middle of the lesson, without invitation Tenebrus stepped out from the inner forest and toying Draco the whole time. Satisfied of laughing at Draco, finally Potter helped him to chase away the creature, since no other students who could see the Thestral dared to be close with the magical creature. Hagrid himself was enjoying the show, whole time. Saying that he never saw Terebrus play with other human aside of him before.

With his new reputation as a Dark Lord's apprentice, plus a Thestral known as omens of evil fancied him, the whole students in Hogwarts were now getting surer that Draco was a dark wizard. Great.

Merlin, Salazar, and whoever other great wizards ever exist, just great. He didn't want to have a dinner at the Great Hall tonight.

From afternoon that day, Draco locked himself in his room. He actually craved for socializing. But with whom would he do that. Millicent could be an enjoyable company as she was almost like Pansy; entertaining, minus meany and bossy and nasty and cunning. Too bad Daphne was clinging on her side all time. Draco just didn't really like her. She was always flirting at him. So, Draco spent his time with doing his Ancient Runes essay after he took a shower. Had a dinner from the Render box two hours later and then continued his study on the apothecary papers. Tired of reading for three hours, finally the papers finished, Draco went to bed.

oOo

Draco's sleep that night was interrupted by a persistent knock on his door. He casted _Tempus_ that informed him it was two in the morning. Draco got out from his bed and opened his door in some resentment for the interruption. Resentment turned into concern when he saw Potter.

"C-can I sleep here?" Potter's eyes were on Draco's lips. He was trembling and sweating. His voice was a sound of scared little boy who had woken up from a bad dream. Potter had just had a nightmare.

Draco opened the door wide and let Potter walked into his room and took the empty bed. When Draco climbed back to his bed, he heard a heavy breath. He turned his head and saw Potter was curled in fetal position, facing Draco's side. With a soft sigh, Draco dismissed himself from his bed and slipped into Potter's bed. Draco slipped his arms around the trembling boy and in auto motion Potter anchored his body onto Draco, embraced him tightly. Mentally Draco cursed the boy Weasel for leaving Potter alone with his nightmares. Draco was almost certain now that the boy had nightmares more than often.

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When morning came, and both boys were awakened from their sleep, they didn't panic in each other's arms. Potter's face was hidden against Draco's neck. They let some minutes passed without motion, enjoying warmness against the cold air of winter morning. Draco didn't want to move from his current position, but eventually they needed to wake up. Detached himself –reluctantly- from Potter, Draco slipped out from the bed and grabbed his wand below his pillow. He casted _Tempus_, and sighed at the time. It was fifteen to nine. Draco glanced at Potter and saw the boy stared at the time.

"Guess we skipped breakfast again." Draco talked to the boy who was still lying in bed. Potter said nothing, only staring at Draco's eyes. Only after Draco told him that they would be late for the first class at nine did Potter sit up and walked back to his own room.

oOo

Today they didn't avoid each other's eyes again. Understanding was on Draco's rare gentle-face the first time Potter glanced at him this morning. Potter responded by nibbling his bottom lip. It made Draco warm. But the warm was gone at the DADA class. Draco wanted to choke the professor. Today they were practicing a _Patronus_ charm for the first time. How the hell would he be able to produce a _Patronus_?

As they began the class, Draco noticed most of the students couldn't cast their _Patronuses_. But that wasn't counted. They were common students, expected to be slow at casting such high enchantment. But he was Draco Malfoy, always be the best and fastest of all. They've been through half class period and Draco still couldn't conjure anything. Sweats trailed down his face. He started to panic, but he wouldn't show it on his face. What if he couldn't cast the charm? In frustration, Draco threw his wand hand down to his side. Clenching his jaw and looked down with his cold eyes.

"What's wrong Malfoy? Can't get your dark mind off?" Harper shouted from one corner of the class. Silence came and all eyes fell on Draco. Draco looked up at the seventh year Slytherin. He glared at the wizard with his cold silvery eyes. Everyone who saw the glare shuddered. The tense was broke by the professor.

"The Patronus Charm is an immensely complicated, very difficult spell. To successfully cast the spell, you're not only summoning the happiest memory you can think of, but also mental balance state and full concentration on your magic." Professor Dakarrt looked at Harper below his eyelashes, "The vast majority of witches and wizards are unable to produce any form of _Patronus_. To create even an incorporeal one is generally considered a sign of great magical power. Now, let's see how is your Patronus cast, Mr. Harper."

All eyes were now moved to Harper, waiting for him to cast his Patronus. As it was their first lesson of the charm, even a flyspeck of puff from the tip of wand considered adept. Harper looked aghast at the demand. His face looked pale. Glancing at Draco who was still glaring coldly at him, he gulped and then raised his wand to cast the charm. Harper began drawing circles with his wand and spelt the incantation. A vague string of dull light gathered from the tip of his wand for a brief moment and not even half second it disappeared.

"Well, Mr. Harper. I suggest you master the charm first before tantalising the other. And I suggest you clear off your cruddy mind before casting the spell. A dull light is not good, Harper. Continue, class!" Dakarrt clapped his hand and the class soon continued the lesson. Some mocking giggles from other houses were heard around the class, making Harper red as tomato.

Draco looked around the class. His eyes dropped on Potter. The boy and Granger were assisting the professor to teach the class. Potter was able to cast _Patronus_ since the third year. The Gryffindor boy was looking back at him. Draco looked away with his wand hand dangling on his side.

The Friday passed with some annoyance to Draco. The event on the Defense Against Dark Arts class was really upsetting him. One because he couldn't cast anything until the end of the class, and second because Harper had embarrassed him. So that night Draco slept restlessly.

oOo

Saturday morning came and Draco forgot about Hogsmeade. But that didn't matter anyway. He had planned to practice the Patronus charm. He _must_ master it today! Or tomorrow the latest. He had a lot of good childhood memories. Like, their parents read him books before bed when he was toddler. Or when he had his first cauldron, a birthday gift from his father when he was seven. Or when he got his first broomstick, his father installed Quidditch field at the backyard of the manor for him.

After he enjoyed his breakfast at the Great Hall to the last minute in peace, Draco walked toward the forest. The morning was one of a chill. Draco reached up to his neck to tighten his scarf and his cold fingers touched the garment of his black turtle neck shirt. The corner of his mouth curved a bit and he put his hand back down to his side. A self reminder, he should buy a new scarf.

When he arrived at his favorite spot in the forest, Draco checked his surroundings.

"Good. No Thestral and Unicorn." Draco pulled out his wand from beneath his sleeve. Gathered all his concentration and required memories, Draco began to practice the Patronus charm. He wouldn't stop until he succeed to cast an incorporeal Patronus. Though, he hoped much he could make a corporeal one. Between the practices, he would break a while and ventured around to check the plants. Until today, he had found 52 types of plant and some other materials used for potions brewing. The forest was really rich of potions ingredients. That's why Draco loved the Forbidden Forest. He wondered how many plants he could find if he wandered deeper to the centre of the forest.

Draco looked up to the cloudy sky. Looked like the day had passed its peak. Not that he could see the sun, but Draco had known well this side of the forest. From the movement of leaves and the forest's unique atmosphere, Draco could tell that it's past the noon. Around four o'clock, perhaps? So Draco decided that his complete-failure practices ended for today and he returned back to the chambers. Walking out of the forest, Draco took the lawn route to calm him. When he walked to the damped grass, Draco felt a breeze on his back and hairs on his skin sprang. Draco turned back his head, enough to see Harry Potter entered the forest. Intrigued, Draco followed behind.

oOo

Draco estimated that the area where Potter heading was not far from the Thestral clearing area. The place so far never visited by Draco before. This particular area of the forest was quite dark and bit wild. Plants and bushes distributed around in disarray. With wand in his hand, Draco entered the forest. He couldn't spot the Gryffindor anywhere. He opened his mouth, ready to call out Potter. But as his mouth opened, scent of spring and fallen rain drawn into Draco's mouth.

"What's this?" Draco eyed the forest. Between the musty airs, the fresh scent flowed from the east side. Curiosity is Slytherin. Draco walked to the east side, to the deeper forest. And then he saw Potter, stood against a tree, his head touched the trunk. Draco walked closer.

The blond gasped. Once again scent of spring and fallen rain filled his lungs. The scent he recognised now as Potter's scent of magic. Gravel on the ground, bushes and leaves rattled wildly, showing visual magic swirling around Potter. When Draco made a soft voice, the dark hair boy turned around. His eyes red and his expression was pure anger.

"Potter, are you all right?" Draco was about ten feet distant from the other boy.

"Go away, Malfoy!" Potter cried in harsh voice.

Draco hesitated, but decided to stay remain. Mostly because he was attracted to Potter's magic. He didn't know that magic had scent and taste. He never found any before. All this time, Draco only sensed magic; people's magic signature, his own magic signature. He even never found any books or words telling that magic had taste and scent. But why he could taste Potter's magic?

"Malfoy, I said go away or you'll get hurt!" Potter yelled at Draco.

"Why? What would possibly hurt me?" Draco looked around and saw nothing but Potter. Ah! Understanding came into Draco. Potter warned him from his wild magic. From his state, Draco could tell that Potter was losing his control over his magic. Why? How? Draco saw Potter walked away, leaving him.

"Potter, wait!" Draco ran and gripped Potter's arm. A shock came over them both. Potter, because Draco approached him and touched him. And Draco, because Potter's magic crept along his body, made his stomach fluttered and gave tiddly bites sensation on his skin as he touched the Gryffindor. Instantly Draco released his grip on Potter and Potter pulled his arm from Draco's grip. Draco looked down at Potter. What he saw made him flinched. Potter stared at him in pure fear. "Potter? Are you all right?" Draco asked again. He reached out to touch Potter's shoulder but the boy jumped backward in a gasp of shock. And then, Draco wished he didn't see it, a tear slipped out from Potter's eye and it trailed down his cheek then chin, and threatened to fall off to the ground. Magic swirled still around Potter.

Draco didn't know what was going on, nor did he know what to do.

"Potter?"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry!" Potter shook his head; tears were now free to fall from his eyes.

"Potter! Calm down! You didn't hurt me! Calm down!" Draco tried to calm Potter, while he was panic inside. What would his mother do if he's in panic attack?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…!" Potter kept shaking his head. It seemed that the boy wasn't listening to Draco's words.

His mother would gather him in her arms.

Draco stepped forward and held Potter against his body. He held him tight so as not to let Potter run. Draco kept holding the boy until he would calm down and stop the tears. Draco counted in minutes as the boy in his arms kept crying, fighting and struggling to get him free and Merlin only knew what the boy would do next. Meanwhile, Draco had to suppress the biting sensation on his skin as Potter's magic swirling and crawling around them.

"Calm down, Potter. Take a deep breath. You can control it." Draco whispered into Potter's ear. "You can do it. I'm holding you now. You can do it. Shush, calm down…" The boy in his arms was now stopped struggling. Draco could hear the boy tried to even his breath between sobs. To encourage him, Draco slowly moved his hand up and started to run his hand through the dark hair, massaging the scalp gently as to not startle the boy. He kept running his hand through Potter's hair until he felt the boy calmed down. The wild magic surround them simmered down until Draco sensed a faint scent of spring and then it was gone.

"Feeling better?" Draco whispered softly into Potter's ear. The boy against his body nodded weakly. Draco loosened his arms to see the boy. Draco unlocked one of his arms from Potter and raised his hand. He grabbed Potter by his face and lifted the boy's face up to see him. His thumb brushed off a trail of tears from Potter's red cheek. For a moment, they stood staring at each other. Their faces were too close from each other's that Draco could feel hot air from Potter's respiration. Potter was blinking on Draco, holding his breath. At the many blinking he got, Draco lifted his eyebrows in question.

"Y-you're okay." A low voiced statement from Potter.

"Of course I'm okay. I've told you that. You just didn't listen." Draco sneered. Potter stared at the silvery eyes for a while, and then the dark hair boy broke the eye contact. He lowered his head and looked down.

"Want to tell me what this is all about?" Draco didn't once let go of his hands on Potter.

"About what?" Potter asked in weak voice.

"This, your stare, your question, your frantic action. The…magic." Draco spoke the last word cautiously. A long pause, and then Potter spoke.

"I…people around me got hurt when my magic went wild and reach them. The magic would hit them and threw them away hard. It felt like it burnt them when my magic touched their skin." The more Potter spoke, the lower his voice became whisper.

"Well, I'm all right, aren't I? They're just weak and overreacted. Daft people." Draco scorned. He hoped Potter didn't notice his previous shiver when his magic hit Draco.

"But, it happened to Hermione and Ron. They couldn't be pretending that I hurt them." Potter lifted his head abruptly. "I'm…damn it! I can't control my magic when I'm mad. It's leaking out from me. I hate this stupid magic! No matter what, I always cause harm to everyone around me. Why this all have to happen to me? I just want to be normal! I'm tired, Malfoy. I had enough." Tears threatened to fall from Potter's emerald eyes.

Draco was really confused with the Boy Who Lived Twice in his arms. Though he didn't know all about the Gryffindor, but he understood little by little about Potter. From outside, it looked as if Potter was a bad omen. Wherever he went, big problem seemed always occurred. People around him would have got trouble and hurt. And then the whole Wizarding World would demand the responsibility from the boy to fix all the damages and make everything back in security. Did they even once think that the truth was they put the entire Wizarding World's burden to the boy's shoulders, using his name as the Boy Who Someday Must Defeat the Dark Lord. They were practically abusing the boy. He was just a boy. Alone. They never cared nor aware of his wellbeing and fear.

"Potter, that is really an utter nonsense. I don't know and don't care what and how people reacted to your magic, but I'm completely okay with it. Literally." Draco put an emphasis on his last word. Potter looked at him. And then eyed Draco from head to chest, where their bodies untangled from each other's.

"Why nothing happened to you?" Potter frowned.

"What? You expect me to get hurt? Potter, I'm not that weak." Draco said dryly.

"But—" Potter moved one step backward, only slightly separated from Draco, since the Slytherin anchored his arms still on Potter. Potter blinked. "You're…okay. Really really okay! I don't understand. Why…How?"

Draco wanted to roll his eyes, but his eyes were stuck on those emerald gaze. Those green eyes were staring at him in awe and admiration. Draco tilted his head, searching for the meaning of those expressions. What made the other boy looking at him in such obvious emotions?

"Um…" And finally Draco realised that his arms were holding Potter the whole time. He didn't mean to and completely didn't realise it, really. Draco detached himself from Potter, arms dropped to his sides.

Losing support for his body, Potter lost balance and gravity pulled him down to the ground, bottom first.

"Ow, Malfoy!"

"Oops, sorry." Draco gave him a hand and pulled the boy onto his feet.

oOo

"What are you doing in the forest anyway?" Potter brushed his jeans from the dirt.

"I was practicing the Patronus Charm." Draco bit his tongue. Why on Merlin's name did he tell Potter the truth?

"How is it, then?" Potter looked at Draco. Of course, Draco turned his head away. In no way would he tell Potter he failed after one day practicing. "Let me see it."

"W-what" Draco was taken aback.

"Let me see you cast your Patronus." Potter stood waiting before Draco.

"I…I…we better get back to Hogwarts. It's almost dinner time." Draco turned around and began to walk toward the castle but stopped as Potter tugged his sleeve.

"Come on. Let me help you." Potter looked at Draco expectantly. Draco hesitated but then nodded. Potter released his sleeve from Draco.

Draco set his pose. He took a deep breath and started to cast the spell.

"_Expecto patronum_!" Nothing happened.

"Try again." Potter walked behind him and put his hands on Draco's shoulders gently. "Relax. Concentrate. Think about happy memories. Let it fill your mind first."

Draco thought about his child's happy memories. Slowly he felt tense in his shoulders loosened.

"Yes, like that. Relax. Keep your happy memories on your mind… Now, pick one memory and cast the spell." Potter released his hands from Draco. Draco once again moved his wand and casted the spell. Nothing appeared.

"I can't do it!" Draco flung his hands down on his sides. "I can't cast Patronus! Damn it, Potter, I can't! I've been under the dark for too long I can't. Cast. Patronus!" Draco yelled in anger, turning his body to face Potter.

Draco looked down and then Potter's lips were on his.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

**XI. KINETIC**

It was only lips to lips touching, but Draco felt his blood boiled inside, his body tingling from hair to toe.

After a moment far too brief, Potter removed his lips from Draco's. The blond gasped softly. His pupils dilated, until there were only thin silver circles in his eyes. Draco stared at Potter who was staring back at him, hands on his shoulders.

Oh Mighty Merlin Great Salazar with his other three Hogwarts founders and Bloody Baron. Potter had just kissed him! Potter. Had. Just. Kissed. Him! Oh Merlin oh Merlin, what should he do? He never kissed anyone before. Nor did he ever been kissed on the lips —not that he would let anyone get close to him. Oh Merlin what should he do? When Theo kissed Pansy, she kissed back –not an image he wanted to memorise though. So he should kiss Potter back?

Scratch that! Why in Salazar's name would he even consider to kiss back in the first thought?! Oh Merlin. Did that mean he liked Potter? What?! But he's a boy. They both boys! Should he kiss Potter back? Why did Potter kiss him? Did Potter like him? Was he allowed to kiss Potter back? He's not a girl, so it would be okay to kiss him, right? He wouldn't demand marriage and took over Malfoy's fortune in the future, right? Of course he couldn't. Potter was a boy so he wouldn't frame him into copulation and then got pregnant and demand marriage, right? There's no potion for same sex couples to acquire a baby. Unless there's a dark magic for the purpose… Oh Merlin what should he do?

"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry! Malfoy, I'm so sorry I didn't meant to—" Potter released his hands from Draco's shoulders and stepped backward. He looked completely panicked and looked at Draco in horror. With a deep crimson face, Potter ran away from Draco.

It only took millisecond for Draco to proceed what happened. Potter thought he didn't want it and was angry to Potter.

"Oh, you stupid idiot Gryffindor!" Draco ran fast to chase the dark haired boy. When in only few seconds he caught Potter's arm, Draco pulled him hard and Potter's body collapsed against Draco. Left hand buried through a mess of dark hair and with a harsh grip Draco pulled Potter's hair. He forced the Gryffindor to look up and Draco crashed their lips together. Again, it was only lips to lips touching but this time Draco held it long until he felt Potter's frantic heartbeats slowed down. Draco opened his eyes, seeing the closed eyelids of the other boy. Slowly, Draco reduced the press of his lips on Potters until theirs were separated a layer away. Potter opened his eyes then, gazing into Draco's silvery eyes. Draco wanted an explanation from Potter but he knew the boy would detach from him and run away.

Were they into staring contest now? Because Draco didn't know what should he do or say next. He hoped Potter would initiate any action first. As if reading Draco's mind, Potter did make movement. He pressed his lips again against Draco's and this time, Potter teased Draco's lips with his tongue. Draco gasped at the gesture and Potter used the opportunity to slither his tongue into Draco's mouth. Draco let the other boy explored him. Being a fast learner, a moment later Draco mimicking the gesture. He brushed Potter's bottom lip with his tongue, elicited a small gasp from the younger boy. Then Draco slipped his tongue into Potter's mouth, stroking the boy's tongue, teeth and the ticklish palate. A pleasure moan came from Potter. That did something to Draco's lower body part. Afraid Potter noticed the excitement on his certain organ, Draco broke the kiss and separated their bodies. His hand on Potter's hair slipped down to the neck. Potter's cold neck. Draco glanced at Potter's neck, and then pulled open a bit the boy's jacket.

"Potter your neck is cold. Why you're not wearing the scarf?" Draco frowned at Potter. At the words, Potter clenched his jaw. "Potter? What- where's my scarf?" Draco definitely could distinct between Potter's annoyed frown and confused frown, and Potter had just made an anger frown. Potter averted his eyes away from Draco and the blond sensed magic began to disperse from Potter's body.

"Potter, look at me. Potter!" Draco replaced his hand back to Potter's head and forced the boy to look at him. "Potter, tell me." When Potter tried to look away again, Draco gripped his hair and the boy's eyes were back on his. He inhaled a faint scent of spring.

Potter then slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a tiny green garment. The boy then casted _Engorgio_ to the object. The shrunken object returned to its original size and Draco stared at his green cashmere scarf. There was a clear dirty mark of foot step on it.

"Potter, what happened with my scarf?" Draco narrowed his eyes and looked at Potter.

"Ginny pulled it off from me and then threw it and…" And then she stomped her big foot on it. That was what Potter said from his magic which was starting to swirl around.

Draco was between wanting to kiss Potter because the boy seemed to treasure his scarf, and at the same time Draco wanted to get fury and run to the Gryffindor Tower and throw a nasty hex to the Weaselette. But his focus now was on Potter. He had to calm the boy, again.

"Potter. Control yourself. Calm down." Draco gripped Potter's shoulders. He bored his eyes into Potter's emerald eyes. Until finally the boy had calmed down, Draco drew his wand and casted a cleaning spell to the scarf. He took the soft material from Potter's hand and enlaced it around Potter's neck. He gave a genuine smile to Potter. The Gryffindor widened his eyes.

"What?" Draco lifted his eyebrow.

"You smiled." Potter blinked. "You actually smiled."

Draco watched a smile spread on Potter's face.

"What? I am capable of showing emotion, Potter. Malfoys are able to feel emotions, too." Draco furrowed, insulted by a stupid Gryffindor.

"Yeah. Of course you are." Potter laughed. Damn Merlin if that didn't make Draco relieved and felt warm inside. Draco cleared his throat. He hoped he didn't blush.

"Right, whatever. Now we better get back to the castle. Seriously, it's getting dark. I'm positive when we arrive, it's dinner time." Draco let go of his grip from his scarf on Potter and walked toward the Hogwarts castle.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Dinner at the Great Hall was as usual. Noisy and owls were flying in and out delivering letters and packages to their owners. That night Draco saw Potter took a seat on Hufflepuff table and sat beside Luna Lovegood. Draco himself sat near Millicent, trying to dig information about "interesting" events at Hogsmeade; specifically about Potter and Weaselette incident. It turned out that the Weaselette caught Potter wore a scarf that wasn't his nor the ones from his friends. The Weaselette then pulled it off of Potter and she smelled foreign fragrance from it. She asked Potter whose scarf was it but instead of giving her answer, Potter asked to give it back to him. Suspecting it was from another girl, the Weaselette threw it to the ground and then stomped on it hard. Potter got mad and grabbed the sca—

"Wait a minute," Millicent said, "Now if I recall it again, the scarf was kind of just like yours, Draco."

Before she noticed the absence of his favourite scarf that was always on his neck in cold days, Draco excused himself and walked out of the Great Hall. When he was back in his room, shortly after Draco closed his door, he heard a knock on the door. Draco opened the door and he saw Potter was standing before him, lost in his breath.

"Potter." Draco greeted. He hoped he didn't blush, remembering the previous encounter with the other boy at the forest.

"Hi, Malfoy. Um, can I come in?" Potter looked to his side and he looked very ready to step into Draco's room.

"Why?" Draco looked on the common room direction.

"Well, um…I really don't want to see Ginny and I think she was on her way here so please can you let me in?" Potter said in a rush.

Draco opened his door for Potter and the boy walked in. Draco then locked his door and casted silencing spell. In case the Weaselette try to check every room to find Potter.

"Suit yourself, Potter. I'm going to take a shower." Draco then left the boy to have his shower. When he was finished and returned to the bedroom, he offered Potter to use his bathroom.

"There's still plenty of warm water there, Potter, if you want to take shower."

"Oh, thanks!" Potter gratefully took the offer.

oOo

Refreshed and felt better, Draco sat on the unoccupied bed. His scarf was laid on it. He grabbed it and brought it to his face. His scarf had a faint smell that was Potter; fresh meadow and a hint of Potter's scent of magic. Ah! He remembered. He wanted to know how magic had scent. But to think again, so long in his life, that was the first time he found a magic could create a scent. If a wizard or a witch with very strong magic like Potter had their own magic scents, how come he couldn't smell the Dark Lord's or Dumbledore's? Or, was it only Potter who had scent in his magic? If so, why could he taste it now? Unless…he had sensed it since long ago but he didn't aware of it? He did smell spring around sometimes. That's why he liked Hogwarts, because it had spring scent which he thought it was a product of charm for the Hogwarts atmosphere. Just like the landscape charm in the Great Hall.

Draco put his scarf back on the bed, waiting for Potter.

Potter stepped out of the bathroom with a puff of steam from his shower.

"Woh! That felt good!" Potter stretched his body then took a seat beside Draco on bed. Draco eyed him.

"Potter, can I ask you something?" Draco's sentence sounded more like a demand than a question.

"About what?" Potter straightened his body, looked tensed.

"Why your magic leaked? I didn't know magic can leak from a wizard's body." Draco tried his best to sound lightly for the question. He knew it was a sensitive topic for Potter. Potter's face covered with shadow. He looked away. Knowing Draco wouldn't put it down until he got the answer, with a big sigh Potter bowed his head.

"Dumbledore said when I was completely freed from Voldemort, my own magic which was bind by his dark power the whole time finally unconstrained. So, since I never used it before, it had accumulated and now it's…explodes. And since magic connected to the state of strong emotions, so when I get upset it triggers the magic, drives it wild."

Draco watched the whole time Potter talked and he saw the Gryffindor clenched his fists. He also noted that Potter's low voice shifted to anger and a hint of shame.

"Potter," Draco opened his mouth but he couldn't make any more words to assure Potter that it was all right, because it was a normal thing. But it wasn't normal, and it wasn't something worse either. It was…special.

"I'm freak and harmful, is that what people think." Potter looked up at Draco. His face was hard.

"Nonsense! Need I remind you, Potter, that you are different—I mean you are a special case. You've been under the Dark Lord's control for almost your whole lifetime and you've seized him so now you have the right to lose control and do or happen whatever you want. So, bollocks everyone!" Draco hissed. Draco thought that the other boy would get mad or denied everything he had said, but instead Potter giggled. Giggles then switched into crack of laughter.

"What?" Draco frowned, confused by the boy who was vibrating by the laughs.

"Bollocks," Potter said between his laughs, "It's just funny to hear you said bollocks. So unmalfoyish!"

Draco made a face but then joined Potter and laughed freely. He would get punished if his mother heard the word came out from his mouth.

"Think I got it from you, Potter. You're bad influence for me." Draco reduced his laugh. He planted his eyes on Potter's, waiting until the dark hair boy made eye contact with him. And then when Potter did, Draco grabbed Potter's shirt and he kissed him.

At first Potter surprised by the act but then he quickly recovered from the shock and kissed back. Potter slipped his hands into Draco's neck. Tardily one of Potter's hands moved up and buried through Draco's silky blond hair. Draco never let anyone touched his perfect hair, minus his mother. He would hex dared anyone tried to do so, but when he felt Potter's hand on his hair, Draco found that he liked it. It created tingling sensation through his body. His stomach fluttered and some other foreign pleasant sensations rushed down his every cell. He pushed Potter until the boy laid on the bed, Draco on top of him kissing breathlessly.

And then Draco realized something. Why was he kissing Potter? Why was he kissing a boy? He never interested to girls nor boys before, so why now, with Potter of all people? This was so strange. His heart was beating rapidly. His body was warm and tingling. His focus was only on the softness of Potter's lips, of Potter's warmness, of Potter.

Draco broke the kiss with a gasp. He stared at Potter with hundred questions in his head.

"M-Malfoy?" Potter's voice was so small. His hands weakened and slipped from Draco. Draco wanted them to keep touching his skin and hair.

"You...you sleep here tonight?" Draco asked in sudden, before he voiced his previous thought aloud.

"Um…yeah…" Potter whispered. The boy still gained air for his lungs.

Draco rose up, letting Potter's hands slipped off from him entirely. He climbed off the bed and took a seat on the chair, steadied his heartbeat.

He pulled out his notebook and a thick Potions Ingredients book from the drawer. Since he returned to Hogwarts, he didn't get facility support from Potions professor to do experiments with his formulas. Not anymore since his godfather Snape died… So he could only cope with checking and investigating theoretically the ingredients' effects for his formulas at Hogwarts. Tonight he planned to recheck the effect of half inch long Dragon Root if it's mixed with various drop amounts of forest-green serpent poison in brewing process under one hundred and twenty one degree heat. Draco pulled out a novel book from another drawer and tossed it to Potter.

"What's this?" Potter read the title, "World of the Dragons. What is it about?"

"Dragons taking over the Wizarding World." Draco opened his potions book and started to read the serpent poison chapter.

"Whoa, that's bizarre!" Potter repositioned his body so that he was leaning against the headboard now, started reading the first page of the novel. Draco snorted at the boy. Soon they both had deeply drawn to their books.

oOo

Draco checked his hand watch. He'd been engrossed to the book for hours. When he turned his head to the right side, he saw Potter had fallen asleep against the headboard. The book lost Potter's hands and fell on the bed beside the boy. Draco considered whether to wake him up and tell him to reposition his body and lie on bed properly, but when he saw Potter's face sleeping in such peace, Draco couldn't wake him.

In times like that, when he saw the peacefulness in the boy's face, or when the boy smiled and laughed merrily, Draco would do anything to make those happiness didn't leave the boy. Until now, Draco still got shocked and confused every time he felt that way toward Potter. Since he heard the Dark Lord's blabber about Potter after he slipped into the boy's mind, a pity, turned into remorse and then anger, arose within Draco.

A pity, because finally he knew the suffer little Potter went through. A remorse because he knew then that he—the whole Wizarding World—had taught wrongly about the Boy Who Lived princely life. Anger, because he felt pity for the boy, because he had caused the boy affliction, because that old Dumbledore knew yet let the Muggle's torture –whatever the torture was— continued, because the boy kept it to himself. He wondered if the Weasel and Granger knew about it. Now he really understood why purebloods despised and lowered Muggles. Muggles were worse than Death Eaters. And as if it all wasn't enough, the discovery of Harry Potter was a Horcrux, that he was actually the Boy Who Lived to Die, somehow made Draco's heart stopped beating. Was it a guilty feeling? Yes, he thought he felt so. That's why he decided to return to Hogwarts and didn't join Blaise and Theo in Durmstrang. It was all because of this boy. Draco had determined to make up all his guilty feeling toward Potter by staying in Hogwarts.

Draco sighed, put his books and took the novel book Potter had read back into the drawers. Potter wasn't properly lying on the bed. His back was laid against the headboard. That position could hurt his body in the morning. Doing Potter the favour, Draco slipped his arms beneath Potter and moved the boy until he was properly laid on the bed. And then he took off Potter's spectacles and shoes. With a swing of his wand, the bedcover beneath Potter magically removed and draped onto Potter. After that Draco readied himself for bed.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

The next morning Draco woke up facing the wall. When he tried to stretch his body, his back touched something solid and warm. Draco snapped his head to see what was behind him and found Potter's back.

"What? Since when did he move here?" Slowly as to not waking the dark hair boy, Draco turned his body fully on his right side. He eyed the messy dark hair before his face. Without even had to ask, Draco knew the boy must have moved to his bed sometime in mid night, accurately because of nightmare.

Hesitantly Draco raised his left hand and touched Potter's hair. He couldn't stop guessing how that messy hair could be so soft in his touch. Slowly, Draco started to stroke the hair that was nearly as smooth as his. When the boy woke up later, he must ask him what hair product he used to tame that wild hair. If there was good shampoo sold out there, then he wouldn't have to brew his own shampoo formula again to make his hair smooth silk and shiny. Feeling drowsy, Draco slipped his right arm beneath Potter and the left one on Potter's waist. It's Sunday after all, so he had the right to succumb back into world of dreams.

oOo

That morning, Draco dreamt about dragons. The dragons embarked into the Wizarding World and tried to conquer it. The dragons were throwing the wizards and witches orange candyflosses. Everyone who was touched by it would get burnt. Then a ball of orange candyfloss flung on to Draco. The ball hit his left cheek. He prepared for the hot and pain sensation instead the ball brushed down to his jaw line. Then the ball bounced up again to his cheek and stroked his face down. Blinking his eyes rapidly, the action pulled Draco back into the real world. When he opened his eyes, Draco was staring straight into Potter's emerald eyes. A warm hand planted still on his left cheek.

Draco blinked.

Potter blinked.

Draco flushed.

Potter sweat-dropped.

Draco blushed.

Potter blinked; his eyebrows lifted up. He brushed Draco's bottom lip with his thumb.

Draco panicked.

Potter smirked.

Draco widened his eyes open.

And Potter touched Draco's lips with his.

_What what what?_

Draco was truly panicked inside. Potter kissed him! It made his body hot! Blood pumping through his vein in blinding speed! He forgot to breath! His mind shot down! Sweet Merlin, help him! He could hear his heartbeat clearly!

_Mother, help me!_

Then Draco heard Potter laughed, really loud. His body vibrated against him.

"What?" Draco furrowed in annoyance.

"Your face!" Potter managed to speak in his hysterical laugh.

"What?" Draco furrowed deeper.

Potter kept laughing out loud and Draco let the boy laughed until he lost his breath and stopped. When the boy finally sobered, Draco lifted his eyebrow, demanding explanation. Potter in return grinned at him. And before Draco had time to voice out his demand, Potter's warm and plump lips were on his again. This time, it was Potter's turn to demand an open mouth from Draco. Granted, Draco opened his mouth and instantly Potter was devouring his mouth. Feeling somehow the whole event was crazy, Draco laughed into Potter's mouth. He felt Potter smiled within kisses and battle of tongues began.

Potter's hand slipped through Draco's hair; his other hand planted on Draco's neck. Draco himself tightened his arms around Potter. If they kept doing it, in no time Draco would master the art of kissing. And as if reading his mind, Potter murmured how good Draco was in kissing. At that, Draco broke their kiss and looked at Potter scrutiny.

"You said that as if you have enough experience to compare. Who was it? That Weaselette?" Draco scowled and he watched Potter's face scrunched when he said the Weaselette name. That pleased Draco somehow, despite the nausea of the thought about Potter kissing Weaselette.

"She had kissed me twice only. It was a mistake, really. I shouldn't have carried away. I thought that was what I wanted. That she was the right…" Potter finished his sentence with a shrug on his shoulder. "What about yourself, Malfoy? Oh, right, I forgot. You're the Ice _Prince_ of Slytherin. Of course you had more than enough experience with…with…those things."

Now that hurt Draco. Especially the repel look Potter gave him.

"I didn't swing around and offered myself to random people that easy, Potter! I have no desire to get involved with such animalistic activity. There's a reason why they called me the _Ice_ Prince, Potter." Draco emphasized the word ice as he narrowed his eyes, "I have no interest in any form of romance acts and relation. I'm a pure blood, a Malfoy. We don't play around. We don't kiss and sleep around before marriage. Merlin knows what they want from me, a Malfoy; prime status and good fortune." To even think touching someone made Draco wanted to empty his stomach.

Draco felt Potter flinched. And when Potter started to pull away from him, Draco tightened his arms around Potter and pulled the boy back against him.

"Not you, Potter. You are…" Draco shuddered in full excitement and bewilderment. His eyes flickered, "An exception." Draco didn't give Potter any chance to speak. Soon as he finished his sentence, Draco pushed his tongue passed Potter's teeth and into the hot cavern; proceeded to stroke that addicting tongue of Potter's.

If his father heard about this, Draco would get punished from hair to toe, body to soul, Monday to Sunday, most definitely lost his potions workplace in the Manor for the rest of his life.

Slowly but surely, Draco manoeuvred their bodies so that he was now laid on top of Potter. The act caused Potter to kiss him aggressively. Hand was grabbing Draco's hair hard. Another hand ran from his neck down to his back and stroking Draco's spine. And when the hand arrived on his lower back, it pressed hard Draco's body down. Both boys moaned at the sensation when Draco's hips pressed to Potter's thighs and his stomach pressed against Potter's pelvis.

Without stopping their kisses, Draco felt Potter looped his waist with his strong legs. Potter pushed Draco down harder with his legs, his hand roamed onto Draco's body. Draco started to feel numb from his arms beneath Potter. He moved slightly to give the circulation on his arms a rush of blood. Only, when he did so, he had created a pleasurable friction between his body and Potter's. Specifically when their southern body parts brushed against each other. Both of them gasped aloud at the sensation.

Draco didn't know what that was, but it felt really good. And he wanted to feel the sensation again. So he moved experimentally above Potter. He didn't get the effect he expected. So Draco moved his body forward a bit until their hips positioned in the same level again and then he tried to move again. This time he felt that pleasant sensation again. He heard Potter gasped. Draco looked down. What he saw added the pleasure and desire for the boy beneath him. Potter was moaning, eyes closed, mouth opened, face flushed. Draco lowered his head and planted a kiss to Potter. The Gryffindor opened his eyes and stared up at Draco. Potter's hands that were stopped their movement embraced Draco's shoulders and pulled him down. When Draco had fully lied back against Potter, the dark hair boy kissed him slow and gently.

Draco felt a strange feeling bubbled up inside him. The gentle treatment Potter gave him and that soft expression on the boy's face made Draco wanted to forget about everything and focus his mind and body only to the boy beneath him. He wanted to get rid of everything that could take that look on Potter's face away from him. Couldn't take the intense feeling that was new, Draco broke the kiss and buried his face into Potter's neck. He rubbed his nose on the warm neck, and then placed his lips on it. He trailed mouth-kisses on Potter's neck, up to the jaw line, then to the flushed cheek, and then the kiss broke when he stared down at Potter. Draco gazed in adoration at Potter; a person who had melted his cold heart. He wanted to know what Potter was thinking right now. But he guessed Potter wouldn't appreciate it if he entered the boy's mind. Draco kissed Potter's forehead instead.

Right as Draco's lips detached from Potter, a knock on the door was heard. The next sound heard was Granger voice called out. Draco and Potter stared at each other.

"Malfoy, will you please open the door?" Granger called again.

Reluctantly Draco unwrapped Potter and climbed down from his bed. And when he stood straight, Potter spelt the bed curtains close. So the boy didn't want his friends know he's here. That made Draco smiled happy, somehow. Draco put on his robe and then opened his door.

oOo

"Um, Malfoy, do you know where's Harry?" Granger asked nervously. Behind her was his boyfriend, Weasel.

"Do I look like a caretaker to you, Granger?" Draco answered coldly.

"No. It's just that, he's been gone since last night. He wasn't in the Great Hall at breakfast, so we visited his room but his cold bed told us that it wasn't used last night. And, um, since he walked out of the Great Hall right behind you last night, so we thought maybe you noticed where he was going after dinner?" Granger bit his bottom lip, showing the worry.

"If you really care about him, don't you think he wouldn't hide from you now, would he?" And with that Draco closed his door, ignoring whatever defence Granger and Weasel were about to say. Draco casted _Tempus_ and he surprised at the time shown.

"Salazar! It's nine o'clock! Potter, wake up!" Draco opened his bed curtain.

"Mm, it's Sunday. I wanna stay in bed all day." Potter mumbled, flopped his body on his stomach.

"Your friends were looking for you." Draco sat on the bedside, poked Potter's shoulder.

"I heard her." Potter turned his head on the pillow to see Draco.

"Are you always this lazy, Harry Potter?" Draco tilted his head backward. "Well, fix yourself. I'm taking a shower."

Finished dressing in the bathroom, Draco took out the Render box and sat on the unoccupied bed. Pulling out a box of truffles, he heard Potter gasped and a second later the boy was planting his body beside Draco. Holding not to smile, Draco put down the box between them. Without even got an offer from Draco, Potter pulled out another box of assortment from the Render box and proceeded to shove the sweets into his mouth, chewing eagerly.

Finished his breakfast, Draco slipped his wand beneath his sleeve and put on a black jumper.

"Where are you going?" Potter looked at Draco with his hand holding the sweet midair.

"Out." Draco looked back at Potter.

"Out where?" Potter put the sweet back onto its box.

"Out." Draco repeated the answer and then walked toward the door. Before he opened the door, without turning his head he told Potter, "In case you want to go back to your room, I've charmed the door to let you in if you want to hide in here again." And Draco left his room toward the forest.

oOo

As soon as Draco arrived at his spot in the forest, wasting no time he started to practice his Patronus again. He _must_ succeed today, because he was sure in Monday the DADA class would be on it again. And he didn't want to be humiliated for the second time by Harper if he hadn't been able to cast the protection charm on the next DADA class. But although he had practiced hours and focused his mind, he still couldn't make a string of light came out from his wand. He didn't understand why he couldn't do it. Was he picking the wrong memories? Were all what he thought were his happy memories weren't categorised as the happiness ones? Thought about it, he had always lived in the shadow of darkness at the manor. Not to mention he was once marked there. Was that the cause? What if he took other memories outside the manor that categorized as a happy memory? But what?

"Quidditch!" Ah, yes, Draco always loved Quidditch. He could fly so high and free without having to fear for his father's enemies, Death Eaters, and wards. Draco closed his eyes, concentrating on the time when he flied high and free at the Quidditch pitch in Hogwarts. Flying in speed chasing the Snitch, racing with Potter, then smirked at Potter, teasing him so that the boy would lose concentration over the golden ball. Unconsciously Draco smiled at his memories. And then Draco opened his eyes and started to cast the incantation.

"_Expecto patronum_!" A silvery mist-like light whipped out of the end of Draco's wand. Draco gasped, blinking several times until the silvery mist disappeared.

"Splendid! That was definitely a great start, Malfoy!"

Draco turned his body fully and saw Potter was standing about ten feet from him.

"How long have you been standing there? And how did you find this place?" Draco pointed his wand at Potter. Salazar, he swore he would hex Potter if the boy had followed him here and watched him the whole time. But when he saw Potter grinned and waved the Marauders Map, Draco rolled his eyes and lowered his wand.

"I was waiting for you until two in your room, but you didn't show up. And you didn't take lunch at the Great Hall," Potter waved the map again, "So, I was looking for you with this and found you in the forest."

Potter approached and sat on the ground beside Draco, put something on the ground and then casted _Finite_ to it. A basket appeared and Potter took off the cover, showing them sandwiches and two glasses of pumpkin juice inside. "I brought us lunch."

Draco blinked. Did Potter really do that for him? The boy even waited for him to take his lunch. Nobody had ever done that to Draco before! Hiding his astonishment, Draco pulled a face on Potter.

"Are you expecting me to sit on the ground, Potter? Are you out of your mind?"

"Yeah. I think I've lost my mind. That's what everybody always said to me. So, sit down, Malfoy, and eat. That, unless you prefer to eat standing?" Potter looked up at Draco, lifting his eyebrows while biting his sandwich.

Draco took the basket cover made from cloth material, put it before him and then resized it enough for them to sit on it. He grabbed the basket and brought it to the wide cloth layer then sat on it to have his lunch. Potter grinned and sat on the cloth, facing Draco. After finishing their lunch, Potter vanished the basket and the cloth.

oOo

"What are you doing now?" Draco stared at Potter who was standing before him.

"Er…can I stay?" Potter walked toward the nearest tree and leant against it.

Draco scowled as he knew Potter's intention to watch him practicing Patronus. Ah, whatever, Draco thought, he finally conjured a cloudy silver light anyway. Which was much better than all students on last Friday class who were able to produce silvery string lights only. Minus some ex-members of the silly Dumbledore Army, of course.

Draco concentrated again on the Quidditch games memories he had, and then casted the incantation. Nothing was out from the tip of his wand. He tried again, but still nothing happened.

"What?" Draco looked at his wand. "Oh, this must be because you're here, Potter! You distract my concentration!"

"I _distract_ you?" Potter raised one of his eyebrows. He was folding his arms over his chest.

Draco was taken aback. If Potter distracted him, it meant that Potter was something for Draco that he affected his concentration. Swearing his slip of the tongue, Draco gave Potter his back. The blond started to practice his Patronus charm again, ignoring Potter's presence.

oOo

After what seemed like an hour practice to no avail, Draco started to give up. He didn't know what was wrong this time. He had thought hard about all his Quidditch memories but still it didn't affect the charm. So, Draco was lowering his wand when he felt warm body pressed lightly against his back. And then he felt hands placed on his hips.

"Concentrate hard on one happy memory." Potter whispered into Draco's ear. Draco shuddered mildly at the act. If Potter kept doing that, Draco wouldn't be able to concentrate at all. "Concentrate!" Potter whispered again.

To stop the annoying boy did it again, Draco concentrated hard on memory when he pulled out his Render box and Potter gasped at it. Successfully showed off and amazed the Gryffindor never fail to make Draco smug and happy.

The incantation was spelt out and then from the tip of Draco's wand a mist in silvery light whipped out. After the silvery mist disappeared, Potter talked to him again from behind.

"Very good. Now, try again."

Draco tried again and again creating the silvery light mist. In each try, the duration of his Patronus appearance increased.

"Excellent! Now, get a _very_ happy memory and try to boost the effect to your happiness."

Draco did what Potter told him. He contemplated some memories outside the Manor that could be called happy. Draco decided to take an event that had caused him smile for the first time since he returned to Hogwarts. He recalled his memory when Potter gasped as he pulled out the Render Box. Potter called it Bless Box. Potter squealed in delight every time Draco took out the Bless Box. Potter smiled every time he presented the Bless Box. Potter smiled at him. Potter laughed with him. Potter hid in his embrace from nightmares. Potter kissed him.

It was too late for Draco to get surprised at the memories his mind recalled when he casted the incantation and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the tip of his wand. Astounded, Draco stepped backward, only to have his body held by Potter behind him.

"That was amazing, Malfoy! I had to try some times before I could conjure non-corporeal form! And you just—you just—" Potter stuttered behind Draco.

"I just what, Potter?" Draco spun his body to face Potter. He hoped he didn't do something bad or stupid. Oh Merlin, was his Patronus formed a dark creature? Something dark? Oh Merlin, not Nagini, not Nagini, not Na—

"You almost form a corporeal Patronus!" Potter put his hands on Draco's shoulders and shook him.

"I— what?" Draco honestly didn't understand. He didn't see any close-to-animal form on the silver shadow he had created.

"Try it!" When Potter saw the confusion in Draco's face, he positioned himself back behind Draco, put a hand on Draco's hip and a hand raised Draco's wand-hand up. "Try it again! This time, try _harder_!"

Potter released Draco's hand and replaced to Draco's right hip, clutching his jumper hard, showing his excitement.

Draco tried to think of the previous recalled memories, sporting a hard blush to his face.

"_Expecto patronum_!" A huge silver shadow bursting out of the tip of Draco's wand.

"Harder! Try harder!" Potter encouraged Draco.

Draco tried again hard remembering the memories. Potter smiled. Potter laughed. He didn't know why it had to be Potter, but Draco didn't care. As long as Potter brought him a corporeal Patronus. Potter gasped in delight. Potter buried his face into Draco's neck. Potter slept peacefully in Draco's embrace. Potter kissed him. They kissed.

A bright white, translucent form of an animal erupted from the tip of Draco's wand. And as it disconnected from Draco's wand, the bright shadow transformed into a fully bright animal shape.

"You did it! It—it's…a…" Potter stammered.

"Wyvern…" Draco finished Potter's sentence in a whisper of awe.

The silver Wyvern flied around the stunned boys before the Patronus vanished.

Draco spun timidly to Potter. They did some blinks in unison.

"I…I did it…" Draco stared down at Potter. "I created a corporeal Patronus…"

For some seconds they blinked again before Potter's face lit up and then cupped Draco's face and brought it down and claim Draco's lips in a quick hard press.

"You're brilliant!" Potter looked at Draco in admiration and smiled widely at him.

The effect of the kiss and Potter's dazzling smile, with addition of recalled memories made Draco's head felt light. A moment later Draco found his hand carded through Potter's hair and kissed the boy deeply. In reflect Potter wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and pulled closer so they were connected from head to toe. In return, Draco wrapped his right arm to Potter's waist, his hand still holding his wand. Their kiss was deep and slow and it sent an electric wave through Draco's spine. Stroking Potter's upper lip with his tongue, Draco separated their mouths carefully. With Draco's face hovering Potter's, the Gryffindor's eyes bored into his eyes.

oOo

"What was your happy memory?" Potter asked in a husky voice. Their lips touched feathery as the dark hair spoke.

"Secret, Potter." Draco whispered back. He saw the boy's pupils dilated. Draco sure his were dilated, too. "I want to see your Patronus." Draco detached himself from Potter. He heard Potter whimpered at the lost of Draco against his body.

"You've seen it at the DADA class last Friday." Potter said as he licked his lips. Draco was tempted to do the same, to taste Potter on his lips but held it.

"Hm, well, how about we do it together?" Draco suggested.

"'Kay. Ready?" Potter pulled out his wand from his pocket.

At one, the dark haired Gryffindor and the blond Slytherin casted their Patronuses. Bright forms of a stag and a Wyvern hovered above Potter and Draco. The Patronuses flied around the boys.

"How long can I hold it before it disappears?" Draco asked Potter as he watched his Patronus hovered still before the boys and then Potter's stag ran around his Wyvern. "What is your Patronus doing?"

From the corner of his eye Draco could see Potter tilted his head. Apparently the other boy was also bewildered by their Patronuses attitude.

"It will disappear when the mission you gave it accomplished…" Potter's eyes were glued on their Patronuses. "Why is yours stays still?"

Draco watched the mysterious acts their Patronuses doing in confusion. A second later his Wyvern moved and flied beside the stag and then they flew away and vanished. Simultaneously Draco and Potter glanced to each other from the corner of their eyes. Caught their ludicrous motion, Draco couldn't hold himself and chuckled. Soon Potter followed and it triggered them both to laugh.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

"Why Wyvern?" Potter asked as they both walked toward their chambers.

"It's a magical guardian, remember? Generally it takes the shape of the animal with whom you share the deepest affinity. So, in my case, family protects me. I'm a Malfoy, and—"

"The Malfoy crest!" Potter cut Draco's explanation. "Haha, how appropriate, Malfoy!"

Draco scowled, but he was very impressed by Potter's perceptiveness. He had just figured it out after Potter asked him the question.

Arrived at their common room, Draco took a seat on an armchair in the corner of the room. Potter took the other armchair beside Draco. Their seats were separated with a coffee table in between. Before the fireplace, Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin sat on the rug. At first they were staring at Draco and Potter, watching how bizarre the once-rival could sit together in peace. Draco casted a silencing bubble around him and Potter.

"Potter, you are avoiding you friends." Draco watched the other boy flinched and lowered his head. "I know it's not my business, but after the battle, I noticed that you're declining from everyone, from the world, Potter." Draco saw Potter lifted his face and looked at him from behind the boy's spectacles. "You don't have to answer. But you look unhappy and it…bothers me…" Draco looked away. He could feel his pale face flushed.

"What made you think that I'm not happy? And why does it bother you?" Potter turned his torso fully to Draco. The blond could feel the boy's eyes were boring into his head. Then by a shuffle sound beside him, Draco could guess that the boy was leaning toward him and would keep in that position until Draco turned his head and looked back at Potter. Giving up his cowardice, Draco finally faced Potter.

Draco didn't answer Potter's first question with words. Instead, he gave him a knowing and understanding look. Maybe, just maybe, Draco thought, Potter took it as a pity look for the boy drew back and tensed. In reflex, Draco reached forward and grabbed Potter's wrist and held it so tight. They made a stare contest. For what it seemed like minutes, finally Potter's face softened and Draco gave him soothing strokes on the boy's inner wrist with his thumb. Draco could see a smile started to form from Potter's lips before someone interrupted them.

"Harry! Where have you been?" Granger lunged onto Potter and gave the shocked boy a crushing hug.

Draco released Potter's wrist and then cancelled the silencing bubble secretly. Draco scoffed at the Granger and when he heard Weasel asked him why he gripped Potter's hand, Draco gave him another scoff.

"'Mione, I was just…around." Potter managed to say between taking air for his lungs.

"I was so worried, Harry… Why didn't you tell us? We could go with you." Granger put her hands over her heart, as if showing Potter how much she worried and hurt that her friend was playing secret with her. Draco felt nausea at the show.

"Perhaps if you could spend a bit of time to _really_ pay attention on his _wellbeing_, he wouldn't have to sense your abandonment and avoid you." Draco told the fellow Golden Trio in contempt then stood and left the common room toward his room. He knew his words would trouble Potter, but he didn't care because he was upset with Potter's friends. Suddenly Draco was in a foul mood that afternoon.

oOo

"Tippy!" Draco summoned his personal house-elf. Soon a loud pop echoed around the room and the house-elf appeared before Draco.

"Master Draco needs Tippy. Tippy is honoured to do Master Draco's order." Tippy bowed deeply.

"How are Mother and Father?" Draco stared down at the little creature.

"They is very well." Tippy answered cheery.

"Fetch me Book of Potions and Physiology from the manor library." Draco ordered.

A moment later the house-elf reappeared before Draco and gave him the book before Draco dismissed her. Draco took the thick book to the desk and then began to read from the page with his bookmark. At first he read the book in anger, but as time went by Draco's foul emotion diminished and now he was enjoying the reading. When he finished the Heart chapter, it was over dinner time. With a sated sigh, Draco put the book away and then he took a shower. After got dressed, Draco demanded an Apple pie to the Render box for his dinner. Done with his pie, Draco lied down on his bed. Staring up at the canopy, Draco folded his arms underneath his head.

Had he been done something bad to Potter in the common room? What if Potter didn't want his friends to know his true feeling? Draco slapped himself mentally. Maybe he should apologize to Potter? He waited until bedtime and then braved himself to visit Potter's room.

A soft knock Draco gave Potter's door and without waiting too long, the door opened and Potter stood there.

"Can I come in?" Draco tried to make his voice steady. The boy before him looked a mess. Draco alerted. When Potter kept standing there and didn't let Draco to come in, Draco pushed the other boy gently and stepped into his room. He noticed the room permitted him to enter without its owner's approval. Did Potter set the ward to let Draco in, just like what Draco did to his room to permit Potter enter his room? "Tell me what happened."

Potter was gazing at the air. Draco let the time passed in silence. When he felt it was enough, Draco put his hands on Potter's shoulders and squeezed it. When he called Potter, the boy averted his eyes. Draco sighed.

"Potter, I'm sorry if I cause you trouble with my words in the common room. But surely your friends could take it wisely, didn't they?" Draco cupped Potter's cheek and brought the boy to face him.

Unexpectedly, Potter slapped away Draco's hand on his face.

"Why you always cause me problem, Malfoy?" Potter looked hard at Draco.

Draco narrowed his eyes. Something definitely had happened with Potter and his friends.

"Potter, spell it for me or should I use Legilimency on you?" Draco put his right hand back to Potter's shoulder. When Potter tried to brush his hands away, Draco grabbed tighter. When he heard Potter sighed heavily and looked down, Draco knew he had won.

"They said we are all grown up now. I understand that they need sometime alone more. I don't mind at all. I've told them. But Ron kept thinking that I was selfish because he said I got spoiled and too much attention from people around me the whole time. He said I couldn't expect them to always be by my side to provide me treatments all the time. I didn't want any attention, Malfoy. I don't want it at all. I never demand people anything for me. I hate that people thought I was fragile, Malfoy. I hate all their fake admiration and cares. I'm not that stupid and blind to see that they only see me as a tool to keep their Wizarding World safe, Malfoy, I don't understand…I…" And Potter broke into tears.

Draco clenched his jaw. With gentle movement, he cradled the crying boy in his arms. Draco let the smaller boy mutely cried as hard and long as he wanted until he got tired. Long time later, Draco felt Potter's breathe evened. He called the boy in whisper. When Draco got no answer, he peeked and saw Potter was asleep against him. Gently as to not awake the boy, Draco moved Potter and laid the boy on the cold bed. When Draco drew back from Potter, the boy slipped his arms to Draco's waist and then pulled him down. Managing not to lose balance and fell on top of Potter, Draco put his left arm on the bed as leverage and then slowly lay beside the boy. Pulling his wand from beneath his sleeve, Draco took off their shoes magically.

oOo

"You're making this a habit, Potter, sleeping in my arms." Draco joked when they had settled to a comfortable position in bed. He heard Potter chuckled weakly against his chest and that was enough for Draco's heart to return to its size from the shrink. "Good night, Potter."

"Good night, Draco."

Draco snapped his eyes open. Did he just hear Potter whispered his given name? Was the boy aware of it?

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**XII. LOVE**

A loud ring echoed inside Draco's head. It stopped when Draco awoken and opened his eyes. Five thirty, the alarm he set had told him. He inhaled deep. Potter was still sleeping. Draco must returned to his room right now before another students got out of their room and caught him walked out from Potter's room. He shook Potter gently to wake him up and five minutes later the boy finally awoken. Draco could see the reluctance when Potter unwrapped himself from Draco. It was adorable, Draco admitted. He kissed Potter on the head and then walked out to his own room.

Soon as he was in his room, Draco banged his head on the door.

"Why the hell did I kiss Potter's head?"

oOo

At breakfast in the Great Hall Draco got an owl from the Ministry, approving his proposal to give them all Malfoy's dark artefacts –which was more than enough amount— to help the Ministry to defray the expenses of the Wizarding World's refinement from the second war. In return, Draco had demanded the Ministry of Magic to clear the Malfoys name and for them to stop sticking their noses from Malfoy's fortune and seek any dirty way to demand nonsense retribution from the Malfoys.

Draco gave the Ministry owl a treat while he wrote short reply that they may transfer the artefacts from manor by his presence. Therefore, they would do it on Saturday, when Draco was free. After the owl left the Great Hall to deliver his reply to the Ministry, Draco caught Potter gave him a questioning look. Draco lifted his eyebrow and gave the other boy a "not telling" face with a little smile. He broke his contact with Potter when Draco heard some squeals from his table. He looked down to the sixth year girls sat at the other side of Slytherin desk. He rolled his eyes and sighed before stood up and left the hall toward the Charm class. What was wrong with the girls –especially Slytherins—these days? Wherever he was around, they often made those stupid girly things like gasping, squealing, blushing, stuttering, and Merlin knew what else. He knew he was awesome and perfect. But honestly, was he that irresistible that the girls had to gasp like they had asphyxia? This was worse than the years before.

oOo

The days went in blur and Draco was getting tensed each day passed. He hoped his father had secured and sealed all rooms and valuable possessions of the Malfoy at the manor when Saturday came with the Ministry parade.

This Friday, though, Harper once again contributed Draco's stress. Today the professor had decided to see the students' progression on the charm. Draco wasn't in the right mood to do the charm, so he decided to lean against the wall and just watching other students struggling. He tried to be invisible in the class but of course, Harper easily spotted him.

"What's wrong, Malfoy? Giving up already?" Harper's loud voice echoed around, stopping the entire class residents to look at him. When Draco gave him his annoyed sneer trademark, Harper opened his ugly mouth again, "Can't make it, eh, Malfoy? That's because you've been marked! A dark wizard you are." Harper snorted.

Draco was about to hex the seventh year Slytherin a painful curse but stopped mid-raising his wand when Potter shouted from another corner of the class.

"He's not a Death Eater!" And of course, all eyes went straight to Potter now. "He can make Patronus." Potter moved one step forward. His eyes locked to Harper viciously.

"Death Eater can't cast Patronus, Potter." Harper made a face. He smirked widely when the class murmuring the validity of the information and some were accusing Draco that he _was_ a Death Eater.

"Malfoy, show him your Patronus!" Potter shouted in anger. He clenched his fists and staring sharp at Draco. Granger and Weasel gave the boy questioning looks, while Draco saw the Weaselette threw Potter unapproved glare. Whether Potter saw and noticed them or not, his eyes were locked on Draco. Even when Granger approached him and pulled his sleeve, Potter spent her no heed.

"I don't need to do it for him just to show his wrong." Draco glared at Potter, initiating him to shut up. That boy really needed emotional control. And honestly, even if Draco tried to cast it, his anger wouldn't let him create one. At this moment, he wanted to throttle Harper and then choke Potter and then Obliviate the class.

"That's enough, !" Professor Dakarrt barked. "This is a class and you must behave yourself, Harper! Let what happened stays in the past and never bring again the inappropriate to day and the future. Ten points to Slytherin for impoliteness in my class and the hostility to fellow student, . Class, continue your practice!" Dakarrt gave Draco consolation look before returned to assist his students.

If he could, Draco would Disapparate to the manor straight from here and never returned to Hogwarts again. He hated the world! Oh wait, that would take Potter's place then. Potter was the one who was at war with the Wizarding World, not Draco. He just hated Harper, then. And speaking of the devil, he saw Potter was talking to Granger and the Weasleys. He was suspiciously looked like convincing them about something… Oh, no. Draco prayed to Merlin, Salazar and the other three great founders of Hogwarts that Potter wasn't talking about—

"Show it!" Weaselette barked in the centre of the class. Potter dropped his jaw and looked at her in horror. "If you were not a Death Eater, show us your left arm!" Weaselette walked in haste toward Draco and without a word she grabbed Draco's left wrist and drawn up his sleeve, exposing his flawless pale skin. The whole class gasped at the revealing.

"What? It can't be. He was marked!" Harper stepped closer to see Draco's arm.

"What the hell!" Draco pulled his arm in harsh move. He saw the Weaselette's face turned red and stunned in place. Potter dragged her away from Draco and then walked back and stood beside him.

"Miss Weasley!" Professor Dakarrt, "What had you in mind to do such impudence to other! Detention tonight, Miss Weasley! And if I catch any of you to have any act of impoliteness to others, Headmistress will have the responsibility on your detention!"

"Professor," Draco called out, "I believe I have the right to demand remittal from her."

"And your bearing is?"

"I say, if I can create a Patronus, leave the detention and transfer a hundred points of Gryffindor to Slytherin." Draco heard protests from the Gryffindors, especially from the Weasleys and none from Potter.

"A hundred points, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Dakarrt took Draco's proposal into consideration. He seemed to show a bit objection.

"A corporeal Patronus." Draco said, "Nobody in this class, save some ex-members of Dumbledore's Army, able to create corporeal yet."

"Yes. Well, then, all right. But Eighty points is enough. Go ahead, Malfoy, cast your Patronus." Professor Dakarrt ordered the class to give Draco a space.

In this winning situation, and the prospect of out-point the Gryffindor, Draco could calm his anger quite easily. He concentrated to Potter –it was annoying for Draco, really, why should Potter of all happiness memories he had—and when the warm feeling in his heart arose, Draco spelt the incantation.

"_Expectro patronus_." Draco opened his eyes and enormous silver Wyvern erupted from the tip of Draco's wand.

"Incredible!" The open mouthed Professor Dakarrt boasted up and stared Draco's Patronus with his wide eyes in awe. "In one week, Malfoy! Never found this sinewy creature in corporeal form before!"

Draco watched the class stared at his Patronus in amaze and from the corner of his eye Draco saw Potter stuck out his tongue at Harper and grinned. Draco held the attempt to roll his eyes and smacked Potter's head simultaneously.

"Professor?" After a few seconds Draco let his Wyvern ran around the class then vanished, he reminded his professor of the deal.

"Ah, yes. Eighty points from Gryffindor and eighty for Slytherin!"

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

"Don't you ever, EVER, say something again about me to everyone!"

They were at the courtyard now, leaning against the big pillar in the further corner from the entrance hall doors. Draco was hiding his body in the shadow as best he could. Since the DADA class ended, words about the event had spread out around Hogwarts. It even had reached the ears of the professors. Thanks to the boy before him. Draco had lectured Potter about it, plus about self control, emotional control, anger management and acts of discreet. Being Potter, of course he apologised the whole time. Draco didn't sure if the younger boy even listening to his every word.

"So, er…does this mean dinner at Great Hall is a no today?" Potter lowered his head, trying to hide his red face as his stomach rumbled audibly. He had held the boy for almost two hours. It must be almost six now. Draco could say that Potter can take his dinner at the hall but he knew better. He knew Potter felt responsible for the gossip about him that had flooded the student body, and if Draco took his dinner at the hall, it would be unbearable.

"I guess we'll have the bless box then." Draco sighed. He couldn't stop his smile, however, when he saw Potter's face lit up at the mention of the box. They walked toward Draco's room and this time he called Tippy to serve them the appropriate dinner. And when they finished their dessert, their stomachs were so full they could manage not having meals tomorrow. Speaking about tomorrow…

"You are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Draco asked while lying on his bed.

"Hm?" Potter answered with a sound of drowsiness.

"Tomorrow, Saturday, are you going to Hogsmeade? The headmistress has allowed us all to visit again." Draco turned his head and watched Potter who was lying on the other bed. The boy definitely looked sleepy.

"Mm…dunno.." And that was the last reply Draco got from the boy before Potter fell asleep.

In deep sigh, Draco took off Potter's shoes and robe magically. He removed the round spectacles from Potter's face and put it on the nightstand. Feeling there's nothing to do, Draco proceeded to clean himself and then followed Potter to enter the dream world.

oOo

Morning came and Draco found the Gryffindor boy was still sleeping peacefully. He noticed lately Potter's sleeps were lack of nightmares. Good for the both of them then. At eight sharp Draco left the Hogwarts and walked few feet from the gates, away from the crowd of students and then with a soft whoosh he Disapparated to the manor. His mother had waited for him at the entrance hall and soon accompanied Draco for breakfast. His father was already in the dungeon, waiting for the Ministry team.

Right as scheduled, at nine the Minister of Magic, the Head of Aurors, four authors, a personnel from Department of Magical Transportation, two Unspeakables and two Wizengamot members arrived at the manor. In great deliberation they moved the dark artefacts from the dungeon to the wide gravel driveway where magical containers awaited to carry the artefacts. They stopped at four o'clock because Draco had to go back to Hogwarts. They would continue to process the rest of the artefacts on Sunday. Before returned to Hogwarts, Draco visited his room and rummaged inside his closet to find a green scarf and then checked the wards in every spot of the manor until five o'clock.

As he arrived at the Hogwarts, Draco walked straight to the headmistress' office and told her about his activity today, and tomorrow. Though he had been checked by the Head of Aurors and the Unspeakables and was neutralized from the effects of the dark artefacts, he wanted to make sure he didn't bring any harm cause to Hogwarts and asked the headmaster to check him again. After them both certain he was clear from dark magic, Draco visited the Great Hall for dinner. He was glad to find the students were busy talking about their visit to the Hogsmeade that yesterday's issue didn't arise. He spotted Potter at the Gryffindor table and the boy looked agitated. What now, Draco asked mentally. Returned to his plate, Draco ate his dinner keenly for he spent so much energy at the manor without break.

oOo

After dinner, a warm relaxing shower had awaited Draco in his rooms. And when his body touched his bed, it was an auto-call to the land of dreams. Exhaustion was supposed to bring him no dreams, or at least random meaningless dreams. Apparently it didn't work for the mix of exhaustion and the contact with dark artefacts at the manor. After a long time absence of nightmares, finally they decided to give a visit on Draco tonight. Killing acts, nasty curses, tortures, the spine-chilling act of the Dark Lord to him; they were terrorising Draco in his sleep. When the _Crucio_ curse hit him, Draco was shaking in agony in his dream, and the world seemed to vibrate along. The shaking was intensified and with cold sweat trailed from his forehead, Draco bolted up and awake in silent cries.

The blond rose up and bent over, embracing his folded legs and sobbing over his knees. He could feel himself trembling hard by the dreams. And when he felt a warm touch on his shoulder, Draco was practically jumped and tied his body to the wall.

"Malfoy, it's me, Potter." Draco vaguely heard the familiar voice. He couldn't see clear in the dark. Draco's heart was beating aloud and fast. But when he heard _Lumos_ and the room illuminated in bright light, Draco's heart was almost jumped out from his mouth. He calmed fast as he stared at the emerald eyes and recognised it quick as Potter's. Draco inhaled deep and then exhaled hard few times until he was completely calmed down, though his body was still shaking.

"Are you all right?" Potter reached for Draco hesitantly. When Draco let him approached, Potter sat beside him. Draco was staring forward with empty eyes. He wanted his mother. As he felt Potter's left arm timidly wrapped around Draco's shoulders and pulled him close, Draco didn't resist the urge to drop his head on the Gryffindor's shoulder.

oOo

The next time he opened his eyes, Draco was clutching Potter's hands while the boy spooned him from behind. He released his hands from Potter's in self embarrassment and pulled out his wand from beneath his pillow and casted Tempus. It was twenty to eight and he jumped from the bed, awakened Potter in the process. Draco dashed for a haste shower and dressed. Five minutes before eight, he walked out from his room and got stopped by Potter at the common room.

"Malfoy,"

"Later, Potter. I'm in hurry now!" Draco walked passing the boy and he saw Potter walked beside him.

"You're going to the manor again?" Potter asked, and added immediately as Draco stopped his feet, "Hermione told me."

"Yes." Draco rolled his eyes and walked fast to the gates.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the Hogwarts gates.

"Can I uh, go too?" Potter rubbed the back of his neck.

"Potter, I'm already late. It's not a vacation or a play. We're dealing with dark artefacts." Draco moved his feet toward a safe area to Disapparate.

"I'm coming! You left me alone yesterday! I'm coming with you whether you like it or not!" Potter grabbed Draco's arm tightly. Draco didn't have time to argue so he took Potter to Side-Along and Disapparated straight to the manor's gates.

When they arrived, the Ministry group was already gathered outside the gates and judging from the taps of feet, they've been waiting since eight o'clock.

"I'm sorry for the delay." Draco detached from Potter and then opened the gates' ward and let the group walked in.

"Harry! Boy, good to see you." The Minister of Magic shook his hand with Potter's.

"Minister! Good to see you, too." Potter smiled wide and shook his hand back.

"Oh, drop the formality, Harry. What are you doing here?" Minister Shacklebolt walked beside Potter, behind Draco who was leading the group toward the manor.

"Er…accompanying Draco…?" Potter directed his words toward Draco, and Draco knew that the boy wanted approval from him but he would keep quiet.

Wait a minute!

Draco stopped midair. He looked back at Potter. Did Potter just call him Draco again?

"Mr. Malfoy?" Shacklebolt called, "Is there something?"

Draco was staring straight to Potter's eye but the other boy seemed oblivious at what he had said just now. This was the second time Potter had slipped to call Draco by his given name. Draco gave the boy one last blink before he continued the walking toward the manor. As they arrived at the dungeon, Draco told Potter to stay still near the door and to not touch any of the dark artefacts. Potter's protest that he came to help and not just watching them was ignored by Draco.

oOo

Draco and his father started to rip the wards off from the artefacts to release the Malfoy's claim over the artefacts and then handed them to the Ministry group. Long and tiring hours later, one of the Unspeakables told them to stop working. When he got the attentions from everyone, the Unspeakable pointed his wand at Potter. All heads turned toward Potter. The boy was holding a necklace, sleeping in his stand position.

"Bloody hell!" Draco smacked his own forehead and called Tippy, "Lie him down on the sofa at the guest room." As tippy Disapparated with Potter, Draco told the group to continue. He'd be back as soon as he get Potter awake and released the necklace from the boy's grips.

"Wait, Malfoy. What is that artefact?" Lambert, the Unspeakable stopped Draco.

"Labelleza Dormit." Draco started to explain short about the dark artefact, "It brings him to an eternal sleep. To wake him up, he has to trade his precious with a submission to the owner of the necklace. Don't worry, it can be break when the owner set him free."

"So, you mean the precious thing to trade is…" Lambert glanced at Shacklebolt.

"Freedom." With the answer, Draco left the dungeon toward the sleeping Potter.

When Draco arrived at the guest room, he saw his mother was there, studying Potter.

"Draco, how did Potter get the Labelleza Dormit necklace in the first place?" Narcissa asked.

"I didn't even aware when did he move from his place, mother." Draco stood beside the sleeping Potter.

"But, Draco, you know what artefact that is." Narcissa looked up at her son, "You have to own Potter to be able to take the necklace."

"Oh, slavery. Just what he needs, mother. I'll be glad to grant it." Draco moved to point his wand at Potter's chest.

"Draco!" Narcissa looked at Draco sharp.

"I was joking, mother. I'll free him soon as the work at the dungeon finished. Just so he wouldn't do anything stupid again." Draco looked down at Potter.

"Very well. You better start it now. I want all this to end as soon as possible" Narcissa stepped backward few steps to make a room for her son.

Draco tapped his wand on Potter's chest.

"Tempting, Potter. Very tempting." Draco sat beside Potter and pointed his wand at the boy's forehead and casted Legilimency. A dizzy spin later, Draco was inside Potter's mind. Draco blocked himself from the floods of memories inside Potter's head and he focused to find a particular spot where Potter was feeling safe and hiding there. It didn't take Draco times to find the place. At first he was ignoring it, thinking that it just a memory slipped into his block. But the place was appeared again and again everywhere Draco searched. He was now standing before a cupboard below stairs. What an odd place to choose as a shelter.

Draco reached out and grabbed the cupboard knob and spun it. It was locked.

"Potter, let me in." Draco called out to Potter. "Potter, if you want to get free from the unconsciousness, you have to let me in." The door opened and revealed Potter who was sitting with his knees folded against his chest. The cupboard was small that Draco wouldn't fit inside. So he knelt outside.

"Potter, you hear me?" Draco saw Potter nodded, "Good. Now listen to me. Because of your stupidity, you've made yourself fall into an eternal sleep. I can free you from this, if you are willing to submit to me. As soon as you awake, I will free you. Understand?"

Potter was staring at Draco in silent. After a moment passed, his small voice broke the silence.

"Why do I have to submit to you? Explain submit."

"That's the only way to get you free from the curse of the necklace. By submitting to me, means I own you." Draco understood Potter's frown that he once again had to be under someone's control. So Draco talked to him again and convinced him that he wouldn't do or ask Potter to do anything, and that he would free him after he woke up. With hesitant nod, Potter stepped out of the cupboard and they both pulled out back to reality again. When they were back to the guest room at the manor, Draco ordered Potter to wear the necklace and then it disappeared from view.

"Now, Potter. I need you to stay sit in this sofa until I'm back here this afternoon." Draco watched Potter for any sign of obedient, but the boy was showing plain face.

"Draco, I think you forgot one thing." Narcissa spoke out.

"Mother?" Draco tilted his head, looking at his mother in confusion. He had done everything right. What did he miss?

"You must attach him an object of your personal belonging object to complete the ownership, and I believe your scarf wouldn't do." Narcissa looked at Draco with no demand of explanation about his scarf wrapped around Potter's neck, though she raised an eyebrow toward Draco.

"Right." Draco felt himself flushed, "My personal belonging…"

Draco thought for a moment while checking his body, looking for something available for Potter. And then his eyes fell on his middle finger. And then he snapped his head to look up at his mother.

"But, mother…" Draco in reflex hid his right hand behind him. He couldn't give it to Potter. Half part of the ring wrapped his finger was meant for his intended.

"Draco, it's only for a moment. As soon as all the work in the dungeon finished, you'll get it back again." Narcissa waved her hand. She was really felt uncomfortable with the outsiders inside the manor.

"Mother!" Draco whining, "If I give it to him and he wears it, it means I'll be bonded with bloody Potter!"

"Hurry, boy. I want them to get rid of the manor as soon as possible." Narcissa ignored her son's protest and walked out from the guest room toward the library.

"Bloody hell! Potter, you'll pay for this!" Draco reluctantly removed his platinum ring and then chanting Latin words and the ring separated into two rings. He wore back the ring with the Malfoy crest and then slipped the other one with the Malfoy crest-shaped emerald embossed to it around Potter's middle finger. Draco repeated his command again and when Potter nodded, Draco returned to the dungeon and got back to work.

oOo

It took them time until four thirty to finally empty the dark artefacts in the dungeon. There was one object left and Draco brought Potter to the entrance hall. Holding a sealing box from the Unspeakable, Draco finally freed Potter from his ownership and told Potter to take off the necklace from his neck and put it into the box. When the Ministry group finally left the manor, Draco spun his body fully to Potter.

"Potter! How did you get the necklace?" Draco hissed at Potter.

Looking at the senior Malfoy, and then at the junior Malfoy, Potter lowered his head.

"I…I took it from the floor when it slipped off from a jug and fell…" Potter tugged his hair.

"Did you not learn from school to not touch dark artefact with bare hand, Potter?" Lucius mocked.

Draco sighed and without waiting for Potter's reply for his father, he asked Lucius permission to return to Hogwarts if he wasn't needed anymore at the manor. Grabbing Potter's arm harshly, Draco took Potter Disapparated back to the outside of Hogwards gates. As they arrived before the gates, surprising Filch who was waiting for all students to return from Hogsmeade, Draco left Potter alone and he dashed toward his room.

Draco felt there was something he had to do after returned from the manor, but waved it away. Maybe it was a tempt to murder Potter for troubling him at the manor.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

Winter went in a fast blur and Draco ignored Potter the whole time he could. He thought Potter would be mad at his ignorance. But every time he glanced secretly at Potter, the dark hair boy seemed unaffected by it. The boy, if possible, looked cheery each day. Even if he ignored the messy dark hair sneaked into his room and slept there. One time he dared himself to stare at Potter in the eye and Draco was taken aback at the bright and pleasant smile Potter gave to him. That was odd. Really, really odd. But again, Potter was a crazy mental person. So Draco took it as normal behaviour and ignored it.

No, wait. Draco took back his ignorance on this matter. Why did Potter look so happy lately? Had he and the Weaselette settled their differences and got together? Now that disturbed Draco. He should go and find Peeves immediately.

On Saturday morning, Draco intended to visit the Trophy Hall where Peeves the Poltergeist was usually around. So he walked out of his room at eight, when most of the students deserted Hogwarts for Hogsmeade. As he closed his door and walked toward the common room, he saw Granger was sitting on the armchair.

"Malfoy. I want to talk to you." Granger stood up and stepped one foot toward Draco.

"What is there to talk about? I'm busy, Granger. I—"

"It's about Harry." Granger cut Draco's word.

"And does this matter of Saint Potter have any concern of me, Granger?" Draco lifted his head, looking at the Gryffindor girl from the tip of his nose.

"Malfoy, stop being insufferable for this once. Why is Harry wearing a Malfoy ring on his finger?" Granger moved one step closer.

Draco was stunned.

"What did you say?" Draco swallowed. There was something. The gears in his head were spinning.

"Why Harry wears platinum ring with a Malfoy crest emerald attached on it?" Granger repeated her question more clearly.

The gears in Draco's head stopped working. He remembered now.

"Bloody Merlin!" Draco cursed himself mentally. How could he forget about it at all! Now, how to explain it to Granger without giving away his forgetfulness? Wait. Was that why Potter had been acting weirdly these days? Did the boy think Draco gave it to him?

"I showed it to him once. He liked it and he borrowed it." Draco lied.

"Malfoy, since when are you that generous?" Granger narrowed her eyes. She must smelt something suspicious.

"Since he helped me at the manor. Just a small thanks, that's all."

"But it cannot be taken off from his finger." Granger kept her eyes narrowed on Draco.

"Of course it can't. Don't want a chance of him losing it. Now, if all's that, I have something to do important." Draco left the common room toward the Quidditch pitch, since he didn't need Peeves anymore.

oOo

There's nothing he could do as Draco arrived at the pitch. The Ravenclaw team was having a practice that morning. Draco watched them for two hours and then it was the Gryffindor's turn to take a practice. Draco didn't want to see them. So he walked back to his common room and found the room was empty. It seemed the eight years students were all in Hogsmeade. It started to bother Draco to the edge. Being here without a friend and had nothing he could do to pass the times. He decided to end the day locked inside his room.

It was unexpected, but Draco didn't surprise either, when he opened his door and found Potter was lying on his stomach on the bed.

"Malfoy!" Potter greeted him.

"I don't want to ask why you're here, Potter." Draco walked toward Potter. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, it's cards. Muggle's game. Come on, let's play. It's fun!" Potter sat up and gathered the cards spread on the bed.

Draco sat on the bed and listened to Potter explaining the card games and played along with the boy until lunch time. They stopped the game and went to the Great Hall for lunch and then got back to Draco's room to play another card game. Silly games, Draco thought, but fun to kill the time.

"Potter," Draco waited until the other boy finished put all the cards back into its small cardboard box, "About the ring…"

"It's beautiful!" Potter beamed and lifted his right hand and stared at Draco's ring.

"Um, do you remember how it gets on your finger?" Draco watched Potter's happy face.

"You gave it to me at the manor a couple of months ago, right?" Potter grinned at Draco.

"And do you _remember_ why I _gave_ it to you?" Draco started to feel his stomach ached. He hoped Potter didn't think that he really gave it to him forever.

"Uh…" Potter tried to remember hard until he furrowed deep.

"Merlin." Draco sighed softly, "I had to put it on your finger because you got a curse from a dark artefact and I forgot to take it back when I had freed you from the curse." Draco explained.

Potter snapped his head from the ring and looked at Draco in deep disappointment. But, Draco thought, it was more of a sad face rather than a disappointment look. Merlin, his suspicious was right. Potter thought it was gifted to him. It was a priceless ring, yes, Draco knew that. But Potter didn't have to be that sad to not have it. He must have presented much expensive stuff by his friends and relatives before, right? So why should Potter acted as if he had lost a valuable thing?

"Do you really like it?" Draco asked when Potter rolled the ring around his finger. He watched the ring slowly pulled to the tip of the finger and Draco felt a pang at the sadness Potter felt. "I didn't ask you to give me the ring, Potter. Yet." Draco spoke quickly before the ring slipped entirely from Potter's middle finger.

"But you'll want it back eventually." Potter stopped the pull to the ring.

"I still have one on my finger, Potter, bigger and cooler than that." Draco showed his ring to Potter.

"Oh, right." Potter tried to smile but failed. Draco didn't like it at all. Potter and his stupid melancholy!

"You can have one of my other beautiful rings, Potter, if you want. But not that one. It's…ah, supposed to be for my…uh…intended one." Draco scratched the imagery itch on his forehead to hide his blushing face from Potter.

"Oh. I'm sorry I didn't know… Oh Merlin, did she know? Did she mad at you?" Potter continued to take the ring off of his finger and Draco had to grab Potter's left hand to stop him.

"No. I'm not engaged to someone yet, idiot! Put that back on!" Draco was panicked at the mention of his future partner. He couldn't think of any person he could bear to live together with. So, really, he didn't mind if Potter wore it for the moment. Just to take his mind away from the thought.

Potter obediently wrapped the platinum ring back to his ring. He studied Draco's face before he spoke,

"Merlin, Draco. For a moment there I thought you looked panic. What's wrong with having a wife in the future?"

"Sweet Merlin, no! I cannot imagine living with another person in one house! Seeing their faces every day, sleeping with them every single night, talking with them on daily basis, and then you have to socialise with their acquaintances. Imagine the trouble! Ugh!" Draco shuddered.

"You survived being in the same room with me and managed to sleep well with me." Potter reminded him.

"Well then maybe I should marry you." Draco said dryly and instantly both boys were in deep crimson.

So the days went by and they never mentioned anything about the previous conversation again.

_*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*DHDHDHDHDHDH*_

It was the second week of Easter holiday in April of the year. Draco was burning a book into the fireplace in his room. At the first day of the holiday, Draco wrote letters to Blaise and Pansy about Hogwarts and his progression on his potions formula. Draco also wrote them complains about how insufferable Potter was during their Eight year. Instead of telling him about Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, in return Blaise and Pansy owled him a book of Male Lovers Guide and told him to practise the book with Potter. At first Draco wanted to throw the book straight to the fire. But curious could kill the dragon, too, Pansy said one time. So Draco kept the book and this afternoon he had just finished reading it with the burning in his face. He hoped his face returned to its paleness when he attend dinner with his parents tonight. He made a mental note to give his two friends filthy retribution someday.

After a brief talk with his father about the vanished Dark Mark on his arm, Draco and his parents enjoyed their dinner in the dining room. When the desserts were laid out on the dining table, they felt the manor's ward vibrated.

"What?" Lucius looked at his wife and son. "Are we expecting company tonight?"

Immediately wand in Draco's hand as he found they weren't expecting any guests and Disapparated to the wrought-iron gates on the driveway. Outside the gates, he saw a familiar posture of a wizard approached. When the wizard had finally arrived before the gates, Draco's jaw dropped to the ground.

oOo

"Why is he still wearing your ring, Draco?" Lucius glared down at Potter when Draco returned and brought Potter to the entrance hall.

"Don't spoil you night with this git, father. I'll take him to my wing and…take care of him." Draco bid his parents goodnight and dragged Potter from the entrance hall to the left wing of the manor.

When they arrived at Draco's wing, Draco pulled the other boy by the arm against him.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Draco stared down at Potter with his intimidating eyes.

"I…I…I was in Grimauld Place and suddenly it went chaos so I went back to Hogwarts but no one opened the gate for me. I didn't know where else to go so I uh, somehow Apparated outside the manor and when I tried to open the gate, it let me in." Potter shrunk under Draco's stare.

"The ward let you in because of the ring!" Draco hissed and let go of Potter. "What I do to you now?"

Rumble sound from Potter's stomach erased Draco's anger.

"Come, Potter." Draco walked them to his private dining room and called Tippy to serve Potter dinner.

"What is Master Harry Potter want for dinner?" Tippy bowed.

"Same as we have tonight, Tippy. Now go." Draco sat at the opposite chair from Potter.

"Why he called me master?" Potter asked as they wait for the house-elf.

"The ring, Potter." Draco answered in annoyance, rubbing his forehead.

oOo

Draco sipped his tea while Potter enjoying his delight dinner. Draco always found Potter eating like a starving man. It really was annoying him. He should teach Potter table manner someday. So when Potter finished his dinner, Draco took the chance to ask.

"Potter, why you always eat like it's your last meal?" Draco's finger was tapping the table.

"Hm? Dunno. Perhaps because I didn't get enough food when I was little?" Potter shrugged, leaning against the chair.

"What do you mean you didn't have enough food when you were little?" Draco stopped tapping his fingers.

"Oh, my uncle never gave me food unless I've done everything they ordered right. If I get lucky, sometimes I'd get a meal in a day. Oh, hey, are they really peacocks?" Potter was now looking at the albino peacocks at the yard outside the window.

Draco stared at Potter's back in horror. Was he serious? Did the Great Boy Who Lived get starved to death in his childhood? In a split second Draco was on his feet and he grabbed Potter's left arm and spun him around.

"What else did he do to you?" Draco hissed. His face was only inches away from Potter's.

"W-what?" Potter blinked.

"What else did your uncle do to you when you were small?" Draco emphasized his every word by tightening his grip on Potter's arm.

"Um, h-he hit me?" Potter stared at Draco, frightened by the blonde's murderous eyes.

"Hit how? When?" Draco started to see red in his eyes.

"Oh, nothing serious. I got hit if I made mistake. It's normal, Malfoy." Potter shrugged.

Without a word, wandlessly Draco hit Potter with Legilimency and searched the boy's childhood memories. When he pulled out of Potter's head some moments later, Draco felt highly nauseated and wanted to take out all content of his stomach that he fell down in his knee trying to calm down and took a hold on the floor.

"Malfoy? Are you all right?" Potter knelt down before Draco and held his right arm.

Draco couldn't tell Potter that he had entered the boy's mind. He thanked his aunt Bella mentally who had taught him Legilimency and Occlumency so well that Potter didn't feel him penetrated his dark memories. After some minutes, finally Draco could hold his guts back. Though images of beaten little Potter with broken bones and ribs still flashed in his eyes, Draco stood up balancing his posture.

"The cupboard. What was it?" Draco asked as Potter stood before him again.

"How did you know about the cupboard?" Potter showed a sudden fear.

"I pulled you out from it when you got the necklace curse." Draco put his hand on Potter.

"Did you see anything else?" Potter paled.

"No." Draco lied.

"Oh," Potter relaxed, "I slept there until I was eleven. Malfoy are you really all right? You look like you've seen Dementor."

"I'm fine. Just tired." Draco stepped backward, "Right. Let's call it a night. To your room, Potter."

Draco took Potter to the White Room, which was located right beside his own room. The White Room was supposed for his intended but Draco didn't give it a damn for he was still in shock. After bid the other boy good night, Draco entered his own room and prepared to sleep.

oOo

Three hours passed and Draco couldn't sleep yet. His mind kept replaying Potter's horrible memories. Why did Potter never report the abuse? Did his friends know about it? Did Dumbledore know it? Mr. Hero, always kept everything to himself, didn't he? Draco remembered when Potter said that he liked being in Draco's arms. Now he understood that it wasn't a playful statement. Potter never had someone to comfort and protect him since the day he was born. It was the other way around, for the boy, always; protect and save the others. People's wellbeing was his priority.

"Oh, stupid boy." Draco climbed off of his bed and opened the door that connected his room with the White Room.

Potter lay on his side with his back facing Draco. Draco walked toward the sleeping boy, attempting to intrude his mind again, digging other memories. Suddenly he wanted to know everything about the boy. But seeing sweat poured off Potter's forehead, he cancelled the Legilimency. If the boy was having nightmare and he intruded his head, it could be a mess. So Draco returned back to his room.

As he walked to his bed, Draco heard the door he had just closed opened and he spun around.

"Potter! how did—"

"Malfoy…can I…can I stay in your room? This place reminds me of the…" Potter looked struggling to say the words. What had happened at the manor last year, yes, Draco got it.

"Yeah, all right." Draco returned to his bed and slipped in a side of his bed. He looked beside him and found Potter was lying in his méridienne sofa.

"What are you doing there, Potter?" Draco stared dumbfounded at Potter.

"Um, sleeping?" Potter opened his eyes, staring back at Draco who was holding himself to not hit the boy in the head.

"Potter, if I could share the small bed at Hogwarts with you, surely there's a lot more room for you in this massive bed I can share." Draco stared at Potter open eyed in disbelieve.

Without any more words exchange, Potter climbed into Draco's bed. Too far at the edge of the bed side Potter lay. Draco followed the boy closed his eyes. Five minutes later he snapped open his eyes. The Potter clutching himself tightly was very annoying. Dealing with Potter was very tiring.

"Come here, Potter." Draco turned to his side and put his arms around Potter who was already wrapped himself against Draco the second Draco invited him to his embrace.

oOo

The next morning Draco woke up before Potter, still sleeping in his arms. Woke up and finally very conscious and clear-headed to process the big revelation about the Boy Who Lived last night had surely changed Draco's point of view toward Harry Potter. Draco recalled all the taunting he threw toward Potter in the past seven years and he felt sick of himself. He couldn't imagine if he was in Potter's place. Being alone, neglected and abused since a baby. Oh Merlin, he felt a sudden rush of great affection toward his parents and –finally Draco accepted his feeling—to Potter. He squeezed hard Potter's body.

"Not the way I thought you'd wake me up." Potter mumbled against Draco's chest. Draco loosened his arms and leaned backward to look at Potter.

"How would you think I'd wake you up?" Draco raised his eyebrows. Since when did the boy wake up?

"Like this," Potter planted a chaste kiss on Draco's lips.

"Seriously, Potter, I didn't know that you're really a pervert." Draco watched the boy grinned and snuggled back into his chest.

They passed the Wednesday morning lazily in Draco's bed against each other. And beneath the cover, Draco finally realised that Potter was wearing a T-shirt and boxer.

"Potter, you didn't bring your trunk with you?" Draco asked as his hand kept stroking Potter's hair.

"Mm…no. I didn't bring one to Grimauld Place. Have plenty enough clothes there." Potter purred at the stroking on his hair.

"I can guess your life must be very simple, Potter."

"Easier to live that way than you, Mr. Perfect." Potter snorted.

"Perfect is natural on me, Potter." Draco said proudly.

"Malfoy?"

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Obligately Draco devoured Potter's mouth and didn't stop until they lost their breath and when they stopped, Potter was already beneath Draco. Potter's hands were under Draco's pyjama, touching his back. Draco looked down at the red plump lips and felt urge possessiveness. He dove into Potter's neck and bit it before gave it a bombardment of open-mouth kisses. Hearing Potter writhing beneath Draco had made him lose control and brought all his blood to the southern of his body.

Draco froze. Dear Merlin, he had an erection!

And oh Sweet Merlin, Potter had it, too!

Draco jolted up. He had never had an erection by touching someone before. But then again, he never touched anyone before. Draco panicked, and his panic, he excused himself to take a cold shower and told Potter to do the same because they had breakfast waiting. When Draco finished dressing, it was nine o'clock already. He summoned Tippy and asked if his parents got upset by his absence at breakfast table. Tippy told him that his father demanded his presence but his mother told him to leave Draco alone. After that, Draco asked Tippy to serve him and Potter breakfast in his private dining room.

When Draco invited Potter for breakfast, they both were sporting blushes on their face. After the breakfast, Draco put the other boy on his clean shirt because his mother wanted to meet them this morning. With the help of Tippy's tailoring spell, Draco's black shirt fitted Potter's small body. They went to the guest room where Draco's mother awaited.

oOo

"Potter." Narcissa invited him to the seat. Draco sat on the same sofa. "So, how did you get strayed here?" She asked to the point.

"Um, Mrs. Malfoy, I was accidentally made Walburga's portrait mad and uh, she provoked all portraits to violate the place…" Potter was fiddling his thumbs.

"You should ask someone to put her down, someday, Potter." Narcissa sighed. "Enjoy your remain holiday, boys." Narcissa left them.

"Well, like mother said, let's enjoy the holiday." Draco stood up and walked to the backyard. He took Firebolt and Nimbus 2001 from the broomsticks room and handed the latter to Potter. "I like the sky in spring."

"Holy Merlin! You have Quidditch pitch!" Potter stared in disbelieve at the green field before him.

"Come up, Potter! Let's play one on one!" Draco yelled from the air.

They played and flied around the Malfoy's land until lunch called.

"You're still here, Potter." Lucius said as they ate the main course. "And still wearing your ring, Draco."

"Makes it easier, father. Can find him and smack his head spot on if he wanders around the manor." Draco glanced at Potter who was sitting uncomfortably beside him.

"And he will accompany Draco here until they return to Hogwarts, Lucius." Narcissa told her husband in calm manner and shushed him when Lucius protested. Draco didn't understand why his once arrogant father could be so obedient easily under his mother's aristocracy now.

"I don't understand why you didn't sit on the chair, Malfoy. Didn't you say you're the manor head now?" Potter asked as they walked back to Draco's wing.

"I'm the head of the Malfoy. Not the head of the family." Draco rolled his eyes.

They spent the rest of the day discussing about Quidditch and at night Draco let Potter slept in his bed again.

oOo

Thursday morning came and today Draco had planned to work with his potions formula. He let Potter slept the whole day and ordered Tippy to provide anything the boy needed and to inform Potter that he's working with his potions and didn't want to be disturbed. The whole day Draco worked in his potions lab at the ground floor of his wing. At dinner he decided to stop his experiment and returned to his room and took a shower then joined his parents in the dining room.

"Where's Potter?" Narcissa asked as they enjoyed the dinner.

"He said he'd take dinner alone at my wing, mother. Perhaps he was unwell. He looked…off." Draco furrowed.

"Of course he is. Your mother had interrogated him the whole day." Lucius spoke and choked as his wife stomped hard on his foot.

"What?!" Draco raised his head to look at his mother in horror.

"Oh, it's nothing, Darling. We just chat." Narcissa smiled innocently. "He's a good boy, Draco dear."

Draco didn't like his mother's smile and her words. His mother must be on something. He looked at his father and Lucius gave him a pity look with a touch of resignation and a bit horror. Draco swallowed his meal with effort. His mother was definitely on something. Did she threaten Potter? Something? What?

Draco returned to his room when the dinner finished. He'd just wait Potter join him there and then he'd ask him what had happened today.

oOo

It was about an hour past bed time and Potter hadn't joint him in his bed yet. Draco stood up and entered the White Room. Potter was lying in the bed.

"Potter?" He called, "I thought you'd sleep in my room?"

"I'm- I'm fine, Malfoy. I'll sleep here." Potter answered without looking at Draco. So Draco climbed on the bed and yanked the cover, rolling the boy to face him.

"All right. What did my mother do to you today?" Draco leaned over Potter so the boy wouldn't turn away.

"C-chat." Potter stared wide eyes at Draco. His face was blushed furiously.

"What about? And don't you lie on me because I will hit you with Legilimency if I you do!" Draco gripped the boy's arm hard.

"Don't you dare do that!" Potter sat up abruptly. "Promise me, Malfoy!"

Draco studied the boy. Oh, he must be scared Draco would see his ugly memories.

"Fine." Draco released his grip on Potter. "So, what were you two talking about today? She- she didn't do anything to you, did she?"

"Oh, no. she's fine. We just talk…stuff. About Hogwarts, Grimauld Place," Then Potter added in a very low voice, "Me, you."

"What?" Draco alerted.

"Oh, oh, I mean we're friends now… Something like that. Now I'm going to sleep. Night, Malfoy." Potter pulled the cover and got back to sleep.

Draco smelt something fishy. He wanted to read Potter's mind, but he had promised. So Draco slipped into the cover and joint Potter.

oOo

Friday and Saturday Draco worked in his potions lab and he ordered Potter to fly and play outside and avoid meeting his mother. He also had asked Tippy to spy on his mother and report if the house-elf found his mother did something suspicious involving Potter.

Tonight, Narcissa demanded Potter to join them at dinner because tomorrow he and Draco would return to Hogwarts. The whole dinner time Potter ate clumsily and once in a while stole glances to Narcissa. Draco's suspiciousness toward his mother increased. There must have been something with them both. Before dinner Draco asked his father about it and Lucius scorned and left him when his mother spotted them.

"Mother! What exactly did you say to Potter on Thursday?" Draco finally encouraged asking his mother.

"Why, Draco dear, mind your manner. We're in the middle of dinner." Narcissa admonished her son for his bad manner.

"Potter!" Draco demanded answer from Potter.

"Oh, Draco. It's nothing. We were just chatting. He's a nice young man and very entertaining. Come visit us again this summer, Potter. I enjoyed your company much." Narcissa smiled at Potter, and, once again stomped on her husband's foot when Lucius attempted to disapprove.

"Being trapped in manor for one year definitely has corrupting your mind, mother, if you're befriending Potter now." Draco saw his father smirked by his words.

"And you're not, dear?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow toward Draco.

"What?" Draco gave his mother a clueless expression.

"I believe you and Potter are in best of interest of a friendly relationship now." Narcissa lifted her eyebrows. Draco and Potter choked in unison.

When they returned to Draco's wing, the blond yanked Potter into his room and threw the boy against the doors.

"I ask you once again, Potter, and I swear I'll enter your mind if you don't tell me right now what my mother asked you!" Draco put his hands on either side of Potter's head and looked down at him.

"She asked me if I liked you and I said yes." Potter answered so fast, closing his eyes.

"_WHAT?!_" Draco cried.

"She was very scary, Malfoy!" Potter squealed.

Draco was about to inform Potter that his mother was the scariest of the Malfoys but Potter's previous sentence hit him.

Potter liked him.

"You…like me?" Draco stared down at Potter.

"Huh?" Potter stared up at Draco with that stupid look.

Draco made an inexplicable expression and told Potter to sleep because they should wake up early for the train to Hogwarts.

"Turn around this instance and get your arse in this bed, Potter!" Draco ordered Potter when the boy was walking toward the White Room.

oOo

Draco must have forgotten to set the alarm because when he woke up, the sun rays pierced through his royal-green curtains. He also noticed his arms were full of Potter's body. He didn't remember he had Potter in his arms last night.

"Potter, wake up." Draco patted Potter's back.

"Five more minutes, Draco." Potter murmured against Draco's chest.

Now Draco got it that Potter would call him Draco when he's in unconscious state. And what did they say about the state of unconsciousness? Potter was really an open book for Draco.

"We're late, Potter. Hogwarts?" Draco patted the boy again.

"Apparate straight to Hogwarts." Potter mumbled and Draco suspected the boy was returning to his sleep.

"Don't you want to visit Hogsmeade first?" Draco heard a grunt so he tried another way to wake up the sleepy head.

"Harry." Draco whispered into Potter's ear and instantly the Gryffindor looked up at Draco wide eyed. "Good. You're awake now. Get up!"

"You tricked me!" Potter yelled at Draco who was walking to the en suite bathroom.

oOo

Draco had lunch with Potter and his parents before they returned to Hogwarts at four. After the lunch, Draco and Potter went back to the left wing and chat leisurely. When afternoon came, Draco walked to his room for his trunk. He didn't ask Tippy to take it because Draco didn't like anyone including house-elves entered his room. After he shrunken his trunk and pocketed it, Draco walked to the entrance hall of the west wing where Potter stood and was looking outside the window. Draco smirked and approached the younger boy stealthily. He stood behind Potter and then slipped his arms around Potter's waist.

"You like me calling you Harry, Harry?" Draco whispered into Potter's ear. Potter jumped and gasped in surprise. When he turned his head too see Draco, the blond captured his lips.

Draco liked the feeling of kissing Potter. He could say that he was addicted to Potter. There was this funny but pleasant sensation flowed through his body when his lips touched Potter. And then when Potter slipped his arm around Draco's neck and the other hand through his hair, like now, Draco's mind was focused on those seducing touches. Also when he explored Potter's mouth and sucked his tongue, it felt like he was drinking Superior Red wine. He could do this forever if Draco didn't remember that they were supposed to be returning to Hogwarts. Reluctantly Draco broke the kiss. He looked deep into the emerald eyes before giving Potter one more brief kiss and then released from him.

"Better go now." Draco said huskily and when he turned around he surprised extremely that he choked by the air he breathed. There before him was his mother standing impassively, staring straight at Draco. "Mother!" Draco shrilled.

"I forgot to ask your answer for the Greengrass proposal. But I see why you've been holding it for two weeks." Narcissa said flatly.

"Mother, it's—"

"I'll take care of it." Narcissa cut Draco's word and waved her hand. "To the main entrance hall, boys."

oOo

"How long has she been standing there?" Draco whispered to Potter as they walked toward the manor's entrance hall behind Narcissa.

"I don't know. I didn't see her!" Potter was trying hard to vanish his blush.

They arrived at the manor's entrance hall where Narcissa had waited. Lucius was nowhere around.

"Good luck with the NEWT, dear." Narcissa hugged Draco and then kissed his forehead. And then she walked before Potter and gave him a brief hug, "You, too, Potter. Now, off you go."

Draco stared at his mother in disbelieve. Why did she hug Potter? She never hugged other people before. Draco shuddered. He glanced at Potter who was doing the same to him.

"Right, Apparate straight to Hogwarts, then." Draco nodded to his mother.

"Ugh. I hate Apparition." Potter slumped before them both Disapparated to Hogwarts.

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When they had entered their chambers, Potter was welcomed by Granger at the common room. Draco didn't stop to watch their reunion and walked straight to his room. He thought Potter would come to his room afterward but as he had waited until dinner time, no one knocked his room yet. So, Draco left his room to the Great Hall for dinner. When he walked out of his room, Ron Weasley was making his exit from his own room. Draco gave him a brief glance and he saw the other boy looking at him with the same flat expression as his. Draco moved a bit fast to out walk him and he noticed Weasel slower his walk so they wouldn't meet on the way to dinner. When Draco arrived outside the Great Hall, he saw students gathered at a corner. He intended to ignore them and enter the Great Hall but stopped when he heard Weasel's yell.

"What is going on here? Harry?" Weasel walked toward the centre of the crowd. At the mention of Potter, Draco spun his body and walked to the crowd.

"I want to see it!" Weaselette was pulling Potter's finger. "Take it off!"

"No! Ginny, stop it!" Potter tried to free his hand from the girl's grip. Draco watched closer and finally he could see clearly what the girl was trying to pull off of Potter's finger effortly; Draco's ring.

"No. Stop right now, Ginny. You're making a scene." Potter yanked his right hand and the girl stubbornly didn't let go. At the process of freeing his hand, accidentally Weaselette rolled the ring so that the emerald that was hidden below the hand now exposed.

"What the fuck?!" Weaselette stared down at the Malfoy crest-shaped emerald. "It's Malfoy crest! Why are you wearing Malfoy's ring?" She crushed Potter's fingers hard in her hand.

"Ginny, stop it!" Weasel moved toward her sister and yanked her hand from Potter. "That's enough, Ginny! Go to your room, now!" Weasel pulled his sister with force outside the corridor.

"Potter?" Draco approached Potter and stood before the upset boy. "All right?" He took hold Potter's right hand gently. When the boy made eye contact with him, Potter didn't say a word. Draco dismissed the gathered students and kept holding Potter's hand until the corridor was deserted. Draco gave a look at Granger who was chewing her bottom lip the whole time and demanded explanation.

"All right, mate?" Weasel patted Potter's shoulder when he returned. "It's okay. I'll tell Bill about it. He'll be very mad at Ginny I'm sure."

"What?" Potter blinked at his best friend.

"She only listens to Bill. Her obsession to you has reached unhealthy level, mate. She should be stopped before it makes her crazy. Sorry about that, Harry." Weasel patted Potter again.

"Ron, I…?" Potter stared at Weasel in confusion.

"Oh, Harry, stop looking at him like that. We're fine with you two together." Granger squeezed Potter's arm. Of course, by her statement, both Draco and Potter shocked.

"_WHAT?!_" Draco and Potter cried in unison.

"What, Harry. We're not that clueless, you know. What with you sneaking into his room all the time." Weasel rolled his eyes.

"We're not—"

"You saw—"

"Oh please, don't deny what is obvious, Harry. And yes, Malfoy, we know you two shared room too many times to count. Besides, Harry wearing your significant ring is a huge giveaway, Malfoy." Granger looked at Draco and Potter as if they were toddlers caught with their hands in cookie jar.

Draco could feel the tense on Potter's hand. Whether because he afraid Draco would be angry and denied his relation with him, or his friends didn't approve Draco. Draco decided to relief Potter from his fear by asking to Granger and Weasel.

"So, you don't mind?" Draco squeezed Potter's hand, wordlessly comforting the boy.

"As long as you happy, mate." Weasel looked at Potter, "But, really, Harry, does it have to be Malfoy?"

"Shut up, Weasley." Draco pulled Potter closer. "Come on, Po- Harry. I'm starving." Draco dragged Potter to the Great Hall along with him.

oOo

As they entered the Great Hall, words about Potter wearing a Malfoy ring resounded the hall. It went silent though, as he and Potter entered the hall. Potter must felt discomfort by the look everybody was giving them, Draco thought. So he released Potter- no, Harry, because it was Harry now, slowly. However, a second later Draco made a smug face and walked to the Slytherin table with Potter gripping his hand firmly.

They sat at Draco's usual place and began to fill their plates with lamb chops. Draco saw Millicent shushed a six year girl beside him and sat on her spot.

"Draco, I heard what happened. Are you serious?" Millicent leaned closer to whisper to Draco.

"About what?" Draco gave her a questioning look.

"So, is he the reason Daphne's foul mood?" Millicent turned her head to see Daphne who was staring at Draco with venom.

"Oh, so the proposal was a marriage proposal with Daphne?" Po- Harry joined the whispers.

"One of the sisters." Draco corrected.

"Watch your back, Draco." Millicent patted Draco's back and returned to her previous seat.

They enjoyed dinner talking about N.E.W.T. –because the whole Slytherin table seemed to eavesdropping them—and returned to their chambers after desserts. This time, Potter- Harry! Harry followed straight to Draco's room. The rest of the night passed with random talk and ended with Harry sleeping in Draco's arms.

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At first Draco didn't like the idea of hanging around with Harry's friends –Granger said it was to make Harry study for N.E.W.T.— but it was better than locking himself in his room alone. If he was given option, Draco preferred to be with Harry and tutor him alone in his room. But Granger insisted, said they would occupy the times with snogging rather than studying.

Times with Harry's friends were almost bearable, because Draco could discuss about lessons with Granger while Harry and Weasel playing or debating over something completely silly and useless. Granger also gave Draco a very good advice of how to motivate Harry effectively to study for the N.E.W.T.

"But that's most definitely unfair!" Harry protested one night. Draco had made a deal with the boy. A deal that Harry would be allowed to sleep in Draco's room if he read a book of any NEWT subjects for an hour every day. He could sleep in Draco's bed if Harry read a book two hours (unless Harry had nightmares). And he would get a nice snogging session with Draco if Harry could answer at least seven questions out of ten from him with right answers.

"For your own good, Harry." Draco brushed Harry's bottom lip. It's been two weeks since the last time they kissed and Draco believed the gesture he just gave to Harry had motivated the boy strongly. In instance, Harry's nose was on Potions book. Tonight, though, as Draco reviewed Harry's study, the dark hair boy could only answer five questions. Draco patted Harry's shoulder and gave him a mockery sad look.

When Draco lay in his bed that night, he heard Harry grumbling in another bed and then the curtain on the bed closed. Draco prayed that tomorrow Harry had good mood and sharp memory because he wanted to kiss the boy so bad!

June came so fast and it was the N.E.W.T. week. All Seventh and Eight years dominated the libraries the whole week. They all looked tensed, stressed and off the whole time. Even Draco had to calm and encourage Harry that he would be able to do the exam and pass them. He even promised a good gift if Harry passed the N.E.W.T.

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**XIII. MAGICAL LOVE**

Draco congratulated himself for Harry's success in passing the N.E.W.T. with satisfying result. He gave Harry a big smile to Harry as the headmistress called out student names who passed the exam in the Great Hall. He received a smirk from Harry when the headmistress announced Slytherin as the receiver of the House Cup of the year.

Summer had come. Draco and Harry sat in a compartment with Granger and Weasel. It was the last time of their ride on the Hogwarts Express so they savoured the last trip to London with it in peace.

"Tomorrow, eight sharp outside the manor, Harry." Draco bid the boy goodbye at the King's Cross Station. And then he got inside his car and drove to the manor. Draco couldn't wait for tomorrow. When Draco arrived at the manor, his parents welcomed and congratulated him for his perfect N.E.W.T. score.

oOo

Tomorrow came and Draco had to try his best to keep calm at breakfast.

"You have plans today, Draco." Narcissa asked as she buttered her bread.

"Yes, mother. I'll visit my cottage today. It's been a long time since the last time I checked it." Draco prayed his mother wouldn't ask with whom he would go.

"And how long will you be staying there?" Narcissa gave Draco a suspiciously knowing look. Draco blinked.

"Mother, you didn't spy on me, did you?" Draco paled.

"Hm? Why would I do that to my own son? And why did you ask? Is there something you're hiding from me, Draco?" Narcissa raised one eyebrow.

Draco averted his eyes from her and finished his breakfast in record time before he excused himself and ran out.

As planned, Harry Apparated outside the manor gates at eight where Draco had waited impatiently. Immediately Draco grabbed Harry and Side-along him and Disapparated to his cottage before his mother spotted Potter.

They appeared by a flower field landscape before them. Behind them white sands shone like little diamonds illuminated by the sunrays. But that's not their purpose of coming there. It's what on the landscape before them.

"Now, Harry, I want to show you something." Draco nodded to the flower field and Harry tilted his head, puzzled of where and why were they here. Draco watched Harry inhaled deep the fresh air and pleasant fragrance from the flower field. And then Draco reached up and put his right hand flat in the air.

A wave of magic sparks expanded from the spot of Draco's hand and spread through forward revealed a breathtaking panoramic view. An extensive glass house stood above a spacious freshly-look neat lawn. White fences separated the area with the flower field. From the entranceway was began the pebble pathway that lead them to the house. On the left side of the pathway, a white-wooden bench surrounded by colourful flower bushes was installed. In the centre of the scenery was a two stories house with glass walls from the ground to the top. To call it a cottage was an understatement.

oOo

"Come on, Harry." Draco walked toward the house. He saw the other boy was following him behind wide eyed and speechless. As they approached the house, the transparent wall exposed the living room on the right side, kitchen and the dining room on the left side, and a space with a grand piano in between. As they arrived, Draco opened a pair of glass doors and invited Harry in. The glass walls were installed from the face of the house to the left side of the house. The whole impressive ground floor interior was designed in white with prisms installed around for the lights. Draco saw thin green rings of iris on Harry's eyes. "All right, Harry?"

Harry turned his face to see Draco and all he did was stared at the blond open mouthed.

"Let's go upstairs." After checking each space on the ground floor, Draco walked smugly to an empty space on the piano room and then another wave of magic sparks brushed the air upward and formed grey-wooden spiral stairs. Both boys went up to the first floor.

Unlike the ground floor, the glass wall on the first floor was covering the front part only. There was a pair of glass doors on the glass wall to reach the balcony outside which was decorated with blossom ivy. The interior was combination of pastel colours of white, grey and green. It was more luxurious than the ground floor and more personal because the whole first floor was the master suite. On the back wall there was a pair of grey-wooden doors that connect the room with the exclusive en suite bathroom. It was designed with outdoor concept because two sides of the walls and the roof were glasses. You could see the backyard from there. And the backyard itself was as breathtaking as the whole house. Various flowers were planted in a unique pattern and in the centre ground was a pond aside the green apple tree.

Draco noted that the first floor was also in perfect condition like the last time he visited. He walked and stood in the centre of the floor with Harry trailed behind.

oOo

"Well, Harry? What do you think? I promised to give you something nice and I just fulfil it; tour in my cottage." Draco wriggled his eyebrows to the stunned Harry.

"Wow, Draco. This place is absolutely beautiful! I've never seen something beautiful like this…" Harry thanked Draco by a big nod.

"Yes. All in perfect state." Draco stared at Harry for e few second, and then rolled his eyes. "It's not the reason I invited you here, Harry. I was just checking this place. Been a year I left it." Draco snapped his fingers over Harry's face to erase the confusion frown on the boy's face. "Do you like the ring, Harry?" Draco asked when Harry had his focus fully on Draco.

"The…what…Ring…Oh, yes." Harry answered, apparently still transfixed by the house.

"You can have it." Draco looked down at Harry who looked like finally sobered.

"What?" Harry tilted his head a bit. Draco had the urge to roll his eyes again if only it didn't hurt him.

"I've promised you something if you pass the NEWT. The ring is what you deserve."

"Really? But why? I thought it's an important ring."

"It is." Draco lifted his eyebrow elegantly.

"But…I don't understand. I mean, this ring. Isn't it a ring of…of…" Harry raised his head a few inches and furrowed, thinking hard of something.

" Merlin, I don't know how I'll cope with your slow brain." Draco sighed dramatically. He stepped forward until there was no more space between them and then put his arm around Harry's waist and his right hand holding Harry's face. Harry blinked, brought him down into Draco's infatuation kiss. A hard press on his lips and a blink later, Harry set his hands to the place where it belong on Draco and kissed back in equal passion.

oOo

This time, their kisses were full of desire and intense emotions. The kisses were so full of want yet lingered in a string of connection to each other. They took their time exploring their true feelings and transmitted them within kisses. Kisses that were all and everything in eyes closed, because they felt them by heart.

When kisses broken by the falling Harry to the deluxe bed because of Draco's eagerness to the body-connection, they didn't stop for long before Draco flung onto Harry and repeating the previous act in their new position. Slowly, Draco felt one of Harry's hands moved to his front and touching his buttons and because he couldn't and didn't want to think, he let Harry unbuttoned his shirt and took it off of him. Draco felt Harry's hands on his bare skin and he wanted to touch Harry's skin too. Unceremoniously Draco took off Harry's flannel and T-shirt and threw them somewhere to the floor. Shoes were magically taken off of their feet. Their hands were roaming each other's body. Mouth creatively explored other's body. Kissing, biting and licking every inches of the skin. And when it was Harry's turn on top of Draco, the silver-blond hair boy gasped and raised his upper body as he felt a touch of wet tongue on his thigh.

"How did…When…" Draco looked down at his leg and his tailored trousers were none to be found. He noticed Harry was also lost his jeans.

"They're on the way." Harry returned to Draco and kissed him but shoved by the blond.

"Harry, did you vanish them? I swear if you can—"

"They're on the floor. Wands on the nightstand." Harry pointed at the gathered garments while his head tilted to the nightstand and then devoured Draco's mouth once again.

oOo

Both boys entwined together. Bodies were dancing like snakes, bending against each other. Moans and gasps echoed alternatively between kisses and frictions. Naturally, in brief moment the acts built physical reactions caused by the product of pent-up emotions they'd been repressed for too long. Draco manoeuvred their bodies so he was now hovered Harry.

"Harry, I…" Draco wanted him so much. To please him, to make him smile and laugh, hold him, be with him, claim him, take him. He wanted to say it to Harry, but he felt very exposed if he did so. Even before he say it, Draco could feel himself exposed already. His body felt cold and hot at the same time. He felt exposed literally. Draco blinked few times. He looked down in few seconds and then looked up at Harry.

"Since when are we naked?"

"I wondered when you would realise it. You're so slow, Malfoy. I discarded our pants since long time ago." Harry smirked. He then locked Draco's waist with his legs and pushed down, eliciting delicious moan from Draco, "And sometimes you think too much, Draco."

"Wait, wait, Harry. I think we should wait—"

"Fuck the wait! I've waited too long. So I won't pass this chance to have you. Draco, I. Want. You."

"B-but Harry, are you sur—"

"I am so a hundred and seven percent sure and ready. I want you, Draco." Harry held the boy above him tight.

Draco didn't need another thought and doubt to work in his brain. What he needed now was Harry. The boy was right; they both had waited for far too long holding themselves. They fit together. There's nothing more to doubt about. They'd have each other right there and then!

Oh, and a self note; Draco would forgive Blaise and Pansy if the book they sent him comes in use today.

oOo

Draco put his lips to Harry's. Closing eyes, feeling each other's heart deeply. Hands and legs and whole part of bodies swayed drunk in harmony with the new level of pleasure. Breathe was forgotten. Taste of paradise took their spirits high. The need of feeling content inside that could attain by the most intimate contact two persons could engage.

"Draco..." Husky whisper from Harry brought the blond up to the surface of the build-up heaven.

With a flick of a wand he took from the nightstand, he answered Harry's lusty gaze. If the gasp came from Harry's mouth was any sign, it meant Draco's well-memorised preparation spell worked. Draco raised his body to see Harry's face properly before he experimentally put his middle finger to the rim of Harry's bottom and tease it. A reflex gasp and hands gripping Draco's shoulders encouraged the blond to gently inserting his finger through the slick ring of muscle.

"Alright?" Draco paused as the boy beneath him squeezed his eyes shot. Harry bit his plump bottom lip, whimpered in uncomfortable fashion. "Harry, is this your first?" Draco stopped and carefully tried to retrieve his finger back out.

After a moment the boy nodded. Draco ran his hand through Harry's hair, trying to persuade the boy that they could do this another time when he's ready. But Harry shook his head and held Draco even tighter, refusing the idea. So Draco cautiously continued his intrusion on the slick entrance. He took the time moving his finger to explore the inside until he found the specific bundle of nerves that made Harry clenching his sphincter and threw his head back in along stimulating moan. A second finger joint the movement inside with scissoring motion. Then a third finger conducting the motions to loosen the ring. The dark hair boy beneath was trashing and writhing wildly now, stimulated rhythmically on his prostate. Face and the whole body blushed visibly. Draco casted spells of lubrication and protection on his member. He brushed Harry's cheekbone with his thumb, gaining attention from the younger boy.

Harry looked up with half lidded eyes and grabbed Draco's head to bring him down and kissed him passionately. Understandingly, Harry hooked his legs back around Draco's waist and arched back.

"Ready?" Draco had Harry nodded firmly. He bit his bottom lip, unsure if he'd do it right without hurting Harry.

"Take me." Harry whispered into Draco's ear and kissed him, pushing down the blond.

Guiding his slick member, Draco gently entered Harry in low velocity. With trained control and patience, Draco waited for Harry to adjust with his sized member, then slowly pushing deeper inch by inch until he was fully buried inside. The grips on the ring of muscle and his shoulders tightened, almost cut his circulation.

"Harry," Draco stroked Harry's hair tenderly, comforting him, "Relax…Take your time. I'll wait for you."

Harry labouring breathes, inhaling and exhaling closed eyes. Slowly, his grips on Draco were loosened and opened his emerald eyes on Draco's silver ones. "I'm ready."

Draco looked deep into Harry's eyes and waited for few seconds. He lowered his head and kissed Harry in tender gesture. He let his lips lingered against Harry's until the boy began to kiss him back aggressively. Slowly Draco began to move once; drew out few inches and then pushed back in. The motion was rewarded by a low moan. Draco repeated the movement and each time the speed accelerated. Low moans soon began to change to throaty moans of high pleasure. Impatience calls for his name between gasps and moans grew as Draco released his mouth from Harry and planted it to every inch of Harry's writhing body.

"Oh, Draco, ahhh… D—" Harry threw his head back. Hands were clutching the silky white sheets so hard they might tear. He arched up as Draco moved scandalously inside him heavenly times.

It was a sweet addiction, forbidden pleasure, feeling Harry inside, connected as one. As Draco's movement accelerated in its speed, pressure and depth, their bodies danced together, forgetting the world and only them were exist. Paradise sensation in every sensory promised them that it wouldn't be their once nor last time to do such private act together.

Muffles against Draco's neck and nail-scratches on his back were signalling a reach toward a climax of the writhing boy beneath him. Draco slipped his hand between their bodies and moved down, wrapped it around Harry's member. Gasp of pleasure came out from Harry's open-mouth as Draco stroked the throbbing member.

"Come for me, Harry." Draco whispered over Harry's bottom lip and nibbled on it. A big moan answered him. Harry opened his eyes and staring at Draco intensely that it almost broke Draco's control.

"Draco…oh gods…nnnhhhh…I…I…oh gods, Draco! Ahhh!" Harry tensed and then he came, pouring his honey to their flushed skins. Muscle clenched tightly as he climaxed, bringing Draco to the edge and came almost simultaneously.

"Oh, Harry! Ahhh!" Draco buried deep inside Harry and the wondrous feeling and acknowledgment of claiming Harry completely brought Draco beyond to the white world and he collapsed on top of Harry.

The last thing he heard vaguely before Draco slipped into slumber was Harry saying the three words to him.

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Draco woke up feeling sticky and exhausted. He opened his eyes and smiled. He lay on top of sleeping Harry, sticky with the boy's cum on his stomach and chest. The boy wrapped his arms around Draco. He nuzzled into Harry's neck and breathed Harry's scent and slowly Draco raised his pliable upper body up, using his right elbow as leverage. He looked down at sleeping Harry, brought his hand up and caressing the boy's face in the most possibly tender fashion he could do. The tip of his index finger trailed on the line of Harry's face, through the eyebrows, down to nose, and then lingered on the red lips. That lips which had just been officially his new addiction over sweets. Harry's lips were the sweetest thing Draco could ever devour. A wet tip of tongue lapped his finger and then pulled it into the hot cavern. Draco smiled at the mouth.

"Morning." Draco glanced at Harry with smile still on his face.

"Morning was so hours ago. My stomach informs me that it's lunch time." Harry spoke without releasing the finger from his mouth. Draco chuckled at the act and looked at Harry in adoration.

"Um, Draco?" Harry blushed, "Pull out?"

"Huh? Pull out? Wh—Oh!" Draco blushed in deep crimson as he realised that he was still inside Harry. Carefully he pulled out and disconnected with Harry. Harry pulled him down and kissed him then.

"Now, I need to visit your bathroom." Harry broke the breathtaking kiss –literally, but his arms still wrapped around Draco's neck.

Generously, Draco walked Harry to his bathroom and compliantly accompanied him in taking leisure shower and made them experienced their first fellatio and toward each other in the large Jacuzzi. After they got dressed, they walked downstairs and sat on the living room, enjoying the sea far across.

oOo

"I didn't bring food here, Harry. So if you're hungry we must go back to the manor." Draco told the boy beside him who put his head on Draco's shoulder and playing with his ring. Draco himself was stroking Harry's hair. He liked putting his hand through the smooth dark hair.

"I don't know if I can go back to the manor, Draco…" Harry raised his head few inches to see Draco.

"Did it bring you bad dreams?" Draco kissed Harry's temple.

"I don't know. But after the war, I still have nightmares." Harry looked far away to the sea.

"What exactly are the dreams, Harry?" Draco got intrigued.

"Just random things about the war." Harry shrugged.

"Not specifically about the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters?" Draco turned Harry's face to look at him.

"Um…I don't know. They're completely random. But I guess…yeah, it's not specifically them. Just me fighting bad wizards and sometimes…I dreamed that I was left alone by everyone…" Harry looked down.

"You're not alone, Harry. Well, not anymore now." Draco kissed the boy sweetly. "I know you live alone at Grimauld Place. Look, Harry, I have the whole left wing of the manor to my own. And after living for seven years at Hogwarts dorm with loads of useless companions every single day, I kind of…feel…it's uh…" Draco was well trained in diplomacy and negotiation. Why the bloody hell it was so difficult for him to tell Harry what he wanted?

"You want me to stay with you." Harry straightened his body. Eyes sharp and straight to Draco.

"Well, if it's so despisal for you to live in manor, we can move here." Draco tried to sound nonchalant despite his great wanting of the possibility.

"Oh my God, you're serious." Harry's eyes widened, his mouth opened wide.

"Of course I'm serious! I never ma—" Draco's word was cut off with a huff as Harry threw himself against Draco and hugged him so tightly.

"Oh God, yes! Yes, Draco I want it! Oh God I love you!" And then Harry froze. "I mean, I— I'm so happy it's just an expression—"

"I love you, too."

Harry stopped breathing. He blinked per two seconds at Draco too many times.

"At one point we would say it to each other eventually and until then I know it would get us suffer and dying. So I'm making it easy for us and save a great time by saying it now. And when I say it, I mean it." Draco looked deep into Harry with his piercing eyes. Harry looked as if he wanted to say something but he couldn't manage to form any words from his mouth as a tear gathered in one corner of his eye and then it fell down on his rosy cheek. Before Draco's brain processed a reaction to take, his arms were full of the Gryffindor boy, sobbing into his warm neck.

"Did I do something wrong, Harry? Was it my words?" Draco held the boy close.

"Yes. Yes you did, you git." Harry's words muffled in Draco's neck.

"What? What did I do?" Draco pulled the boy off of his neck and studied Harry's face.

"You're so wrong by saying those words now." Harry leaned into Draco's hand as his tears were brushed off by Draco's thumb. "You should say it so long ago so I wouldn't have to feel alone and hurt."

"Long ago? How long ago?" Draco narrowed one of his eyes.

"Um…sixth year?" Harry said sheepishly, averting his eyes away from Draco.

"Tch, I would do it in our fourth year." It was Draco's turn to blush and averted his eyes away.

"Fourth year?" Harry cried astonished.

"Well, what with you stupidly entered the Triwizard Tournament. I literally panicked and almost ran to you when I heard father talking about the plan of bringing you to the resurrection of the Dark Lord. But mother knew and she held me from running to you." Draco scrunched his nose. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Harry made a big O with his mouth.

oOo

The waves in the sea sounded so relaxing. Being with Harry made Draco happy.

"Draco?" Harry called against Draco's bare chest an hour later after they made a brilliant love.

"Hm?" Draco caressed the boy lying against him.

"I love you." Harry said in clear sound. Draco could feel his smile on his chest. "And I'm really hungry now."

"All right, let's get back to the manor. After a quick shower." Draco buried his face to Harry's hair and nuzzled on it before they rose up from the white sofa.

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They arrived at the manor at three o'clock and headed straight to Draco's dining room to have their late lunch.

"Harry, what is your plan now? I applied a proposal to Minius Vimescafee to assist me in advance potions training and he approved it. I can start immediately, he owled me." Draco asked once they were lying on Draco's bed, wearing out their exhaust system of the previous intense activity at the cottage.

"Who is he?" Harry turned his head to the side, looking at Draco.

"Honestly, Harry, you don't know him? He's the greatest potions master ever live in England!" Draco's eyes popped up.

"Er…right. I guess I'll take a training program to be a healer." Harry turned his head back and stared up to the canopy.

"I thought you want to be an Auror." Draco turned his body toward Harry.

"I don't know, Draco. I'm still haunted by the war. Maybe I get traumatized, so better avoid anything involving fight." Harry removed his folded arms from under his head and put them around him.

"Harry, I think you're mistaken your nightmares with terror of the past." Draco reached out to caress Harry's arms, "Remember when the ex-Death Eaters visited the manor? You were so eagerly wanted to go with me and when we arrived, you showed natural respond of firm readiness and determination to enter a battlefield. So those dreams, love, I think they were telling you that you missed the battle." Draco had Harry turned to his side and was facing him. He stroked Harry's hair tenderly, comforting. The dark hair boy staring at Draco, and then he closed his eyes, feeling the alluring touch on his hair. Draco gathered the boy into his embrace and soon followed him chasing dreamless slumber.

oOo

Draco woke up two hours later feeling so revived and content. He stretched his body, pressed him even closer against Harry. Hand that was nested beneath his shirt scratched his back with its nails.

"Ouch, Harry." Draco arched up, trying to bring his porcelain skin away from the nails.

"This morning Shacklebolt sent me Auror application form. He sent one to Ron, too. He said we don't have to take the test and are welcomed to join the Auror training straight." Harry said below Draco, buried his face into Draco's neck.

"So, have you thought about it, then?" Draco murmured against Harry's head.

"Yeah. After hearing from you, I think I'll give it a try." Harry trailed Draco's neck with his fingertips. He added, "And don't say that you are right."

"I _am_ always right." Draco entangled Harry's hair and tugged it.

"Git." Harry bit Draco's neck. Draco chuckled and massaged Harry's scalp.

oOo

At six o'clock they had dinner in the master dining room with Draco's parents. The whole time Lucius gave annoying stare at the ring on Harry's finger. Narcissa and Draco ignored him though and they talked conversationally about Draco's and Harry's training programs. When the dinner ended, Narcissa took Draco and Harry to the guest room and talked about the Grimauld Place.

"So if only a Black who can put the portrait down, why didn't your godfather do it, Harry?" Draco asked after his mother told them about the way to get rid of the Walburga Black portrait.

"I don't know. He didn't have the time, maybe?" Harry shrugged, "But, I think I have a better idea."

"Congratulation, Harry!" Draco applauded and smirked when Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'll ask Aunt Andromeda to move there with Teddy." Harry saw Draco's furrow at the mention of Teddy, "Teddy is my godson and he's your cousin's son, Draco."

"Oh." Draco remembered his mother told him about the late Nymphadora Tonk last year. "And you, Harry, where will you stay?"

Draco waited as Harry pretended to think hard. He narrowed his eyes, however, when Harry mentioned the Weasel family. He knew that the boy was teasing him. But to just thinking that Harry would live under the same roof as the Weaselette, it made Draco's stomach fluttered in panic. He grabbed Harry's hair and pulled down, brought the boy's face upward and hissed against Harry's lips.

"Don't you dare!" Draco looked at Harry threateningly and the git grinned widely. He felt Harry looped hi arms around his neck.

"I don't know where else I should go, Draco. I don't have any other relatives." Harry said in husky voice.

At the mention of relatives, Draco reminded of the cruel muggle that had violated his Harry in his childhood. He would search information about the muggle and make a malicious visit someday.

"Don't you have me?" Draco licked Harry's lips.

"Your propose is?" Harry's pupils dilated and he opened his lips slightly.

"Move with me."

oOo

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!"

Draco's proposal was followed by a horror scream from Lucius who was just stepped into the guest room. Harry turned his head toward the senior Malfoy and Draco was so shocked by the sudden and unnoticed visit that he froze in his inappropriate pose. Narcissa appeared beside his husband and glanced at him amusingly.

"My eyes!" Lucius cried repulsively and dashed out, probably to the master suite, wash his eyes and curved into ball hiding beneath the sheets.

"Meet your father at the library tomorrow to discuss about the Apothecary, Draco. Now, get back to your wing, boys! No more compromising situations of yours beyond your wing in the future." Narcissa gave the boys scrutinising glare before left the room without waiting their replies.

"God! This is so embarrassing. How many times have we got caught by your mother?" Harry released his arms from Draco and both boys laughed in unison.

Draco didn't need to ask his parents' approval for Harry because their verbal and nonverbal gestures had shown him that they accepted Draco's choice open arms.

"Can I move tomorrow?"

"Make it tonight, Harry."

All was well.

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**Afternote:**

Secretus Prisma: made up chambers.

Render box/bless box: made up magical box. I'm so fancying the Vanishing Cabinet.

Imito Respiciofors: made up transfiguration spell. To transfigure object into something the caster thinks in their mind.

Tractura Vesania: made up potion. Draught of Insanity. Causes the drinker temporally lose their memory before memories mixed creating completely false memories, thus falls to insanity. The cure is three-fourth-time brewed Elixir of Life simultaneously mixed with Peace.

Canon: Draco is a talented wizard from a young age and possesses several impressive magical abilities.


End file.
